"Internet+Nursing Service" Mobile Apps in China App Stores: Functionality and Quality Assessment Study.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Informatics
• Mobile Health

Background:

• China's aging population and rising health concerns drive demand for nursing care services.
• Internet technology facilitates web-based nursing services, with mobile apps as primary access tools.
• The "Internet+Nursing Services" initiative, launched in 2019, leverages mobile apps for healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the functionality, services, and quality of "Internet+Nursing Service" mobile applications.
• To identify specific weaknesses in existing applications.
• To provide recommendations for enhancing service programs and app development.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search for "Internet+Nursing Service" apps was conducted using the Kuchuan mobile app monitoring platform in December 2022.
• Data collected included app developer, size, version, downloads, user ratings, and service offerings.
• App quality was assessed by five trained researchers using the Chinese version of the Mobile App Rating Scale (uMARS-C).

Main Results:

• Seventeen apps were included; most had high download numbers and user ratings, but overall quality was average (median uMARS-C score: 3.88).
• Apps generally performed well in information quality, layout, graphics, performance, and ease of use.
• Significant weaknesses were identified in credibility (82% rated fair or poor) and demand coverage (94% rated fair or poor), with limited geographic reach.

Conclusions:

• "Internet+Nursing Service" apps require expansion in service scope, variety, and structural optimization.
• Overall app quality is suboptimal, necessitating improvements in credibility and demand fulfillment.
• Collaboration between developers, medical professionals, and users is crucial for developing effective and user-centered applications.