Identifying budget management apps for people with acquired brain injury: a comparison of search methods

Cognitive impairments following acquired brain injury (ABI) often hinder individuals' ability to manage finances independently, a key component of autonomy and quality of life. While mobile applications (apps) offer promising support for budgeting, the identification of accessible and clinically validated tools remains limited by the unregulated and heterogeneous nature of commercial app markets. This study aimed to compare three methods for identifying mobile budgeting apps for use by individuals with ABI.

We applied three app identification methods: (1) a weighted keyword algorithm (AppGuide), (2) a Boolean keyword query on Apple and Google Play stores and (3) an AI-assisted query using ChatGPT. All methods used identical inclusion criteria, emphasising bilingual availability (English, French), cost accessible at an affordable cost, and platform compatibility. Apps passing automated filters were manually screened to evaluate performance and retrieval efficiency.

Out of 84,827 apps identified via Method 1, 13,862 met automated criteria, and 62 were selected for manual review. Method 2 yielded 121 apps, 62 of which were screened. Method 3 generated five apps. After manual screening and testing, one app from Method 1 (Spendee©) and three apps from Method 3 (Spendee©, Wallet App©, Money Manager©) met all inclusion criteria. No apps from Method 2 were retained.

This study presents a novel, clinically relevant methodological approach to guide the identification of mobile apps potentially suitable for prescription to users with cognitive impairments following ABI. It demonstrates how integrating complementary methods can enhance the precision and clinical relevance of app selection.