An overview of mobile health applications (mHealth apps) supporting Tuberculosis elimination efforts

The rapid advancement of mobile health applications (mHealth Apps) is increasingly realised for their transformative potential in strengthening healthcare systems, patient centred approaches and improving TB elimination efforts.

To provide a landscape overview of mHealth Apps which are operational to support the TB elimination efforts with reference to specific functionalities that support either persons with TB or healthcare providers.

We conducted a systematic search of the Google Play and Apple App Store to collect mHealth Apps developed for TB care and management. Information on features of the mHealth Apps were collected based on the WHO Classification of Digital Interventions, Services and Applications in Health. App purpose, functionality and target audience were synthesised from App descriptions and classified based on the framework. The mHealth Apps were summarized in frequency and percentages.

Of 196 Apps identified, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 48 were included for the final analysis. When categorised by the intended users, 22 (46%) were health worker oriented, 10 (21%) were beneficiary focused and 16 (33%) were intended for a mixed audience. On demand information for beneficiary and personal health tracking feature was available in 18(38%) and 14 (29%) of the Apps, respectively. Telemedicine, laboratory management features were available in less than one-fifth of Apps. Features for health worker decision support, referral coordination and data interoperability were very low. There were no features with respect to human resource and supply chain and health financing.

There is a need for developing more community centric and frontline worker oriented Apps through participatory co-designing involving people affected by TB, community organisations and frontline health workers for guiding the development in future.