Smartphone apps in microbiology—is better regulation required?

Visvanathan, Akila; Hamilton, A.; Brady, Richard

doi:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2012.03892.x

Cited by 72 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Suk Nam et al (2014) describe the design and implementation of a stroke screening app which suggests hospital destination, but they have not provided data on its effectiveness in practice. The regulation of applications used to guide clinical decisions is suggested by Visvanathan et al (2012) in order to safeguard patients by ensuring information contained in them is authenticated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technology for trauma: testing the validity of a smartphone app for pre-hospital clinicians

Freshwater

Crouch

2015

International Emergency Nursing

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Introduction:With the introduction of regional trauma networks in England, ambulance clinicians have been required to make triage decisions relating to severity of injury, and appropriate destination for the patient, which may require 'bypassing' the nearest Emergency Department. A 'Trauma Unit Bypass Tool' is utilised in this process. The Major Trauma Triage tool smartphone application (App) is a digital representation of a tool, available for clinicians to use on their smartphone. Prior to disseminating the application, validity and performance against the existing paper-based tool was explored. Methods: A case-based study using clinical scenarios was conducted. Scenarios, with appropriate triage decisions, were agreed by an expert panel. Ambulance clinicians were assigned to either the paperbased tool or smartphone app group and asked to make a triage decision using the available information. The positive predictive value (PPV) of each tool was calculated. Results: The PPV of the paper tool was 0.76 and 0.86 for the smartphone app. User comments were mainly positive for both tools with no negative comments relating to the smartphone app. Conclusion:The smartphone app version of the Trauma Unit Bypass Tool performs at least as well as the paper version and can be utilised safely by pre-hospital clinicians in supporting triage decisions relating to potential major trauma.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technology for trauma: testing the validity of a smartphone app for pre-hospital clinicians

Freshwater

Crouch

2015

International Emergency Nursing

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“…Rosser et al 36 showed similar findings in a review of apps relating to the generic condition of pain. In other specialties such as dermatology37 and microbiology,38 reports have emerged of a similar low level of professional involvement in app design and a lack of academic reference.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Availability and medical professional involvement in mobile healthcare applications related to pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy of HIV/AIDS

Cuenca

Morillo-Verdugo

2013

Eur J Hosp Pharm

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Objective The aim of the present work was to identify available mobile healthcare applications related to the pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy of HIV/AIDS and review their characteristics and content, as well as assess the level of involvement of medical professionals in their design. Methods A descriptive observational study was carried out in May 2013. Smartphone apps related to HIV/AIDS were searched for in the Apple App Store (iOS) and the Google Play Store (Android) by keyword. Data recorded included: name, platform, cost, category, number of ratings, user star rating, number of downloads, date the app was updated by the developer, target audience and whether the app was created from a website. We analysed the content of the applications, and these were then categorised into six groups. We conducted an analysis in which we specifically examined the authorship in order to gauge the prevalence of medical professional involvement in their development and content. Results A total of 54 apps were included (from 1908 that were identified), among which there were 13 duplicates. Most of these apps were uploaded under the medical category. Seven had ratings <3.9 stars (out of 5). Only 4 apps had exceeded 1000 downloads, with a mean of 100-500 downloads. A total of 15 apps were aimed at health professionals, while 12 focused on patients. We identified 16 applications created from websites. The involvement of health professionals in the development of apps was 48.8%. Conclusions The current availability of HIV/AIDS applications is limited. Despite the high scores given by users, the number of downloads is low. More than half of the applications do not have the scientific backing of a healthcare professional.

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“…Recent studies have addressed the lack of evidence and professional medical involvement in their design and development, raising concerns regarding the reliability and accuracy of their medical content, and the consequences for patient safety 2 3. It has been proposed that medical apps should be peer-reviewed by clinical experts and that regulatory measures should be increased in order to safeguard quality of care 1.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medical apps for smartphones: lack of evidence undermines quality and safety

2012

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Increasing numbers of healthcare professionals are using smartphones and their associated applications (apps) in daily clinical care. While these medical apps hold great potential for improving clinical practice, little is known about the possible dangers associated with their use. Breaches of patient confidentiality, conflicts of interests and malfunctioning clinical decision-making apps could all negatively impact on patient care. We propose several strategies to enhance the development of evidence-based medical apps while retaining their open nature. The increasing use of medical apps calls for broader discussion across medicine's organising and accrediting bodies. The field of medical apps is currently one of the most dynamic in medicine, with real potential to change the way evidence-based healthcare is delivered in the future. Establishing appropriate regulatory procedures will enable this potential to be fulfilled, while at all times ensuring the safety of the patient.

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Smartphone apps in microbiology—is better regulation required?

Cited by 72 publications

References 14 publications

Technology for trauma: testing the validity of a smartphone app for pre-hospital clinicians

Technology for trauma: testing the validity of a smartphone app for pre-hospital clinicians

Availability and medical professional involvement in mobile healthcare applications related to pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy of HIV/AIDS

Medical apps for smartphones: lack of evidence undermines quality and safety

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