Quality assessment of persian epilepsy mobile applications: A systematic review using uMARS and DISCERN

Limited health literacy among individuals with epilepsy is associated with poor health outcomes, highlighting the importance of accessible, evidence-based self-care resources. Mobile health applications represent a promising avenue for supporting epilepsy self-management; however, the quality and reliability of app content may significantly affect patient trust, clinical interactions, and health outcomes. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the quality of available Persian-language epilepsy-related mobile applications.

Persian-language apps related to epilepsy and seizures were systematically identified from Google Play, Café Bazaar, and IranApps using relevant keywords. After excluding non-Persian and duplicate apps, the eligible applications were independently evaluated using the user version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS) and DISCERN tools.

Of 659 identified applications, 78 were epilepsy-related; following exclusions, 11 apps met the inclusion criteria for full evaluation. The mean overall uMARS score was 2.8 ± 0.5 out of 5, with six of the 11 apps (54%) scoring above 3. The section-specific mean scores were as follows: engagement, 2.2 ± 0.5; functionality, 4.0 ± 0.4; esthetics, 3.3 ± 0.9; and information, 2.3 ± 0.4, out of 5. DISCERN total scores ranged from 26 to 40 out of 80 (mean 34.5 ± 4.2), and the mean reliability score was 18.2 ± 3.9.

The results showed that Persian-language epilepsy-related apps demonstrated high functionality but limited support for behavior change, engagement, and esthetics. Information quality was generally poor, and none of the evaluated apps were free of charge. These findings highlight the urgent need for developing high-quality, evidence-based epilepsy apps that support comprehensive self-care and behavioral change strategies for Persian-speaking users.