Evaluation of rheumatic disease mobile applications using MARS

Area of Science:

• Digital health and mHealth applications
• Rheumatology and rheumatic disease management
• Health informatics and app quality assessment

Background:

• Rheumatic diseases pose a significant global health burden.
• Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer potential for disease management but often lack validation.
• The Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) is a standardized tool for assessing app quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality of Persian-language mobile applications for rheumatic diseases in Iranian marketplaces.
• To identify areas for improvement in mHealth apps used for rheumatology patient care.
• To ensure informed selection of validated mHealth tools for rheumatic conditions.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study in 2024 systematically searched Google Play, Myket, and Bazaar for rheumatology apps.
• Six eligible Persian-language apps were evaluated using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS).
• App assessment was conducted by health informatics specialists, rheumatologists, and patients.

Main Results:

• The overall average MARS score for the evaluated apps was 2.32, indicating low to moderate quality.
• The 'Rheumatism' app showed the highest scores in interaction (1.96), aesthetics (2.6), and information (2.2) among individual apps.
• The best-performing apps achieved an average of 3.53 in interaction, but overall dimensions like information (1.94) and aesthetics (2.12) were rated poorly.

Conclusions:

• Persian-language rheumatology apps require significant enhancement in user interaction, information quality, and aesthetics.
• Improving scientific content, user engagement, and diverse information formats is crucial for app effectiveness.
• Validated mHealth applications are needed to better support patients with rheumatic diseases.