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Chinese Mobile Health Apps for Preventing and Managing Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Quality Assessment and Content
Yuqing Song1,2, Xue Deng1,2, Ting Hu3
1Department of Pelvic Floor Medicine Center Nursing, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 20, Section 3, South Renmin Road, Sichuan Province, Chengdu, 610041, China, 86 19827473462.
Mobile health apps for pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) show acceptable quality, primarily offering exercise and health education. However, many lack comprehensive features and high-quality content, necessitating improved app development for better PFD management.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- mHealth Interventions
- Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Management
Background:
- Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is a common health issue affecting urinary, bowel, sexual, and pain management.
- Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer remote solutions to enhance patient adherence and treatment efficacy for PFD.
- Existing PFD apps in China lack systematic examination regarding their features and quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and evaluate the functions and quality of mHealth apps for PFD prevention and management.
- To assess apps addressing urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and chronic pelvic pain.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of Chinese app stores (Apple App Store, Huawei AppGallery, VIVO App Store).
- Inclusion criteria: free, PFD-focused, Chinese language, downloadable on major OS, and incorporating PFD management elements.
- Quality assessment using the user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale (uMARS).
Main Results:
- 46 apps were analyzed, all developed by corporations, with over half exceeding 10,000 downloads.
- Average uMARS score was 3.46 (acceptable quality), with 19.6% rated as good quality.
- Primary functions included exercise (95.7%), personal information recording (67.4%), and health education (60.9%); only 5 apps offered 5+ functions.
Conclusions:
- PFD mHealth apps demonstrate acceptable quality, with common features like exercise guidance and health education.
- Significant limitations include a lack of comprehensive functionality, immediate feedback, and high-quality educational content.
- Recommendations include developing evidence-based, multifunctional apps adhering to international guidelines and further research into clinical effectiveness and user feedback.
