Current Landscape of Mobile Health Applications for Hypertension Management in the United States: A Scoping...

Hypertension, a major contributor to cardiovascular mortality, requires multimodal monitoring and management strategies for optimal blood pressure (BP) control. Patients are turning toward mobile health (mHealth) applications to manage hypertension which vary widely in design and regulation. This study examines the landscape of hypertension mHealth applications on Apple App Store and Google Play Store and qualitatively evaluates their functionality and security features from patient and clinician perspectives.

Publicly available applications were identified using keyword "hypertension" on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or in a recent meta-analysis that met specific review criteria. Applications with <1000 reviews (Apple App Store) or <10,000 reviews (Google Play Store) were excluded to capture the top 5% of applications with high public use. Of >700 applications, 43 underwent full application screening and 18 were reviewed for general information, storage, revenue models, security, patient/clinician interfaces, and associated research. Discrepancies were resolved through consensus and available manufacturer confirmation.

Clinician interfaces were largely absent, with limited EMR integration and alert systems. Revenue models ranged from free to subscription-based. Security and data privacy policies varied with applications lacking clear opt-out options for data collection. Patient interfaces offered BP tracking and reminders, and accessibility features. Sentiment analysis showed an overall positive view of frequently reviewed Google Play Store applications.

Current mHealth applications lack several features for optimal hypertension monitoring and management. Based on the range of qualitative application features assessed, we formulate a framework for developing an ideal mHealth application for optimal hypertension management.