BACKGROUND: Mobile technologies are increasingly being used in health care and public health practice for patient communication, monitoring, and education. Mobile health (mHealth) tools have also been used to facilitate adherence to chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) management, which is critical to achieving improved pain outcomes, quality of life, and cost-effective health care.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the 25-year trend of the literature on the adherence, usability, feasibility, and acceptability of mHealth interventions in CMP management among patients and health care providers.
METHODS: We searched the PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases for studies assessing the role of mHealth in CMP management from January 1999 to December 2023. Outcomes of interest included the effect of mHealth interventions on patient adherence; pain-specific clinical outcomes after the intervention; and the usability, feasibility, and acceptability of mHealth tools and platforms in chronic pain management among target end users.
RESULTS: A total of 89 articles (26,429 participants) were included in the systematic review. Mobile apps were the most commonly used mHealth tools (78/89, 88%) among the included studies, followed by mobile app plus monitor (5/89, 6%), mobile app plus wearable sensor (4/89, 4%), and web-based mobile app plus monitor (1/89, 1%). Usability, feasibility, and acceptability or patient preferences for mHealth interventions were assessed in 26% (23/89) of the studies and observed to be generally high. Overall, 30% (27/89) of the studies used a randomized controlled trial (RCT), cohort, or pilot design to assess the impact of the mHealth intervention on patients\' adherence, with significant improvements (all P<.05) observed in 93% (25/27) of these studies. Significant (judged at P<.05) between-group differences were reported in 27 of the 29 (93%) RCTs that measured the effect of mHealth on CMP-specific clinical outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: There is great potential for mHealth tools to better facilitate adherence to CMP management, and the current evidence supporting their effectiveness is generally high. Further research should focus on the cost-effectiveness of mHealth interventions for better incorporating these tools into health care practices.
BACKGROUND: International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) CRD42024524634; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=524634.

The eHealth technologies promote parental care practices for preterm infants. Nonetheless, we should underscore the abundant information and available apps and disparities in these resources\' quality, usability, and reliability. This article examines eHealth technologies directed at parents to care for preterm infants. An integrative review was conducted across the principal health databases (Capes, EBSCO, BVS, PubMed, Scholar, and SciELO), selecting works published from 2011 to 2022 in Portuguese and English, focusing on the use of eHealth technologies for the care of preterm infants. We identified 13 articles related to information and communication technologies in strategies for educating and promoting the health of preterm infants and their parents and the importance of evaluating and validating eHealth technologies in maternal and child health promotion. Properly validated eHealth technologies can be crucial in supporting parents in promoting health and providing care for preterm infants after hospital discharge, which, in turn, can drive the evolution of healthcare systems and improve clinical practices.
As tecnologias eHealth contribuem na promoção das práticas parentais de cuidado para bebês pré-termo. Não obstante, é notável a abundância de informações e aplicativos disponíveis, a disparidade na qualidade, facilidade de uso e confiabilidade desses recursos. Este artigo objetiva examinar as tecnologias eHealth direcionadas aos pais para o cuidado de bebês pré-termo. Realizou-se uma revisão integrativa nas principais bases de dados da área da saúde (Capes, EBSCO, BVS, PubMed, Scholar e SciELO), com a seleção de publicações de 2011 a 2022, em português e inglês, sobre a utilização de tecnologias eHealth voltadas aos cuidados de bebês pré-termo. Identificaram-se 13 artigos com temáticas sobre: as tecnologias da informação e comunicação nas estratégias de educação e a promoção da saúde de bebês pré-termo e seus pais; e importância da avaliação e validação das tecnologias eHealth na promoção da saúde materno-infantil. Tecnologias eHealth validadas adequadamente podem desempenhar um papel fundamental em apoiar os pais na promoção da saúde e na prestação de cuidados ao bebê pré-termo após a alta hospitalar. Isso, por sua vez, tem o potencial de impulsionar a evolução dos sistemas de saúde e a melhoria das práticas clínicas.

UNASSIGNED: Postoperative recovery in patients with cancer is a complex process that influences quality of life, functional recovery, and mental well-being. Smartphone app-based interventions have emerged as potential tools for improving various aspects of health and well-being in cancer patients. However, the existing literature lacks a consensus on the efficacy of these interventions, leading to conflicting outcomes.
UNASSIGNED: We searched multiple databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, EMBASE, and MEDLINE Complete (EBSCO). We exclusively selected randomized controlled trials meeting the inclusion criteria for our systematic review and meta-analysis. Utilizing a random-effects model, we derived the pooled effect size estimates for the meta-analysis. Where applicable, we calculated the pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). The Cochrane Collaboration tool (Cochrane ROB) was used to evaluate bias in randomized trials. The primary outcome was the quality of life. The secondary outcomes were psychological symptoms, health conditions, satisfaction, and self-efficacy.
UNASSIGNED: Of 731 screened articles, 15 were included, comprising 1,831 participants. Our meta-analysis revealed that app-based interventions potentially improved quality of life (SMD =  -0.58, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.16), alleviated psychological symptoms (SMD =  -0.43, 95% CI -0.72,-0.15; p = .003), and enhanced self-efficacy (SMD = 0.90, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.53; p  =  0.001). However, there was no statistically significant effect on satisfaction (SMD = 1.25, 95% CI-1.06 to 3.57; p  =  0.23).
UNASSIGNED: Our findings suggest that mobile health apps hold promise in improving the well-being of cancer patients after surgery by enhancing their quality of life, health status, and self-efficacy, while also reducing anxiety and depression.
Many smartphone apps focus on managing health, particularly for activities such as exercise and preventing diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and mental health; however, there is a noticeable absence of specialized health management apps tailored for cancer patients after surgery. Smartphone app-based interventions have the potential to enhance quality of life, health status, self-efficacy, and decrease feelings of anxiety and depression in adult cancer patients after surgery.

BACKGROUND: Global aging presents socioeconomic and health challenges. Dementia, a growing concern, affects millions of older adults, intensifying the burden on family caregivers. E-health interventions offer hope through technological solutions, although current research is limited. This study evaluated the effectiveness of internet-based or mobile app interventions for family caregivers of older adults with dementia.
METHODS: A systematic review with a narrative synthesis was conducted using databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, LILACS, and PsycInfo) and the bibliographies of retrieved articles, with no restrictions on time or language.
RESULTS: The search yielded 2092 results, of which 22 studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing a total of 2761 family caregivers. Twenty-one different outcomes were evaluated and classified into three main types of interventions: psychoeducational, psychotherapeutic, and multicomponent.
CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the importance of internet-based and mobile app interventions in supporting family caregivers of older adults with dementia. These interventions positively affect many aspects of caregiver well-being, suggesting their utility in addressing this group\'s emotional, social, and self-care needs.

Deprescribing is an evidence-based intervention to reduce potentially inappropriate medication use. Yet its implementation faces barriers including inadequate resources, training and time. Mobile applications (apps) on app stores could address some barriers by offering educational content and interactive features for medication assessment and deprescribing guidance. A scoping review was undertaken to examine existing deprescribing apps, identifying features including interactive and artificial intelligence (AI) elements. A comprehensive search was conducted in August 2023 to identify mobile apps with deprescribing content within the Apple and Google Play Stores. The apps found were screened for inclusion, and data on their features were extracted. Quality assessment was undertaken using the Mobile App Rating Scale. Six deprescribing-related apps were identified: the American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria 2023, Dementia Training Australia Medications, Evidence-Based Medicine Guide, Information Assessment Method Medical Guidelines, MedGPT-Medical AI App, and Polypharmacy: Manage Medicines. These apps focused primarily on educating both patients/carers and healthcare professionals about deprescribing. Amongst them, two apps included interactive features, with one incorporating AI technology. While these features allowed for search queries and input of patient-level details, the apps provided limited personalised deprescribing advice. In terms of quality, the apps scored highly on functionality and information, and poorly on engagement and aesthetics. This review found deprescribing apps, despite being educational, have limitations in personalization and user engagement. Future research should prioritize evaluating their feasibility and user experience in clinical settings, and further explore how AI and interactivity could enhance the usefulness of these apps for deprescribing practices.

BACKGROUND: Periodontal health plays a key role as a shared reference point for evaluating periodontal diseases and identifying significant treatment outcomes. Providing adequate instruction and enhancing the motivation of patients to maintain proper oral hygiene are crucial factors for successful periodontal treatment, with self-performed regular oral hygiene identified as a critical factor in improving the outcomes of treatment for periodontal diseases. Recently, mobile health (mHealth) solutions, especially mobile apps, have emerged as valuable tools for self-management in chronic diseases such as periodontal disease, providing essential health education and monitoring capabilities. However, the use of mHealth apps for periodontal health is complex owing to various interacting components such as patient behavior, socioeconomic status, and adherence to oral hygiene practices. Existing literature has indicated positive effects of mHealth on oral health behaviors, knowledge, attitude, practice, plaque index score, and gingivitis reduction. However, there has been no systematic review of mobile apps specifically targeting patients with periodontal disease. Understanding the design and impact of mHealth apps is crucial for creating high-quality apps.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of existing mobile apps in promoting periodontal health.
METHODS: A comprehensive search strategy will be performed in multiple electronic databases (PubMed, EBSCOhost, CINAHL Plus, Dentistry & Oral Sciences, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) with the following keywords in the title/abstract: \"mobile application,\" \"mobile health,\" \"mHealth,\" \"telemedicine,\" \"periodontal health,\" \"periodontitis,\" and \"text message.\" Only randomized controlled trials will be included that assessed the following outcomes to measure periodontal health improvement: gingival index, bleeding index, periodontal pocket depth, and clinical attachment loss. Covidence will be used for data collection, and a PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) flowchart will be used to describe the selection process of the included, identified, and excluded studies. The Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis approach will be used for meta-analysis of the extracted data from the included studies.
RESULTS: This review will not require ethical approval since no primary data will be included. As of July 2024, a total of 83 articles retrieved from various databases have been imported to Covidence with 13 articles deemed eligible for inclusion in the review. The review is currently ongoing and is expected to be complete by the end of 2024 with the results published in early 2025.
CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis will contribute to developing mobile apps with enhanced criteria to improve periodontal clinical outcomes. The review emphasizes the importance of mHealth and preventing periodontal disease, which can set the stage for informed global health care strategies.
BACKGROUND: PROSPERO CRD42022340827; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=340827.
UNASSIGNED: DERR1-10.2196/50479.

BACKGROUND: Smartphone apps may provide an opportunity to deliver mental health resources and interventions in a scalable and cost-effective manner. However, young people from marginalized and underserved groups face numerous and unique challenges to accessing, engaging with, and benefiting from these apps.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to better understand the acceptability (ie, perceived usefulness and satisfaction with an app) and feasibility (ie, the extent to which an app was successfully used) of mental health apps for underserved young people. A secondary aim was to establish whether adaptations can be made to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of apps for these groups.
METHODS: We conducted 2 sequential studies, consisting of a systematic literature review of mental health apps for underserved populations followed by a qualitative study with underserved young male participants (n=20; age: mean 19). Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, an electronic search of 5 databases was conducted in 2021. The search yielded 18,687 results, of which 14 articles met the eligibility criteria.
RESULTS: The included studies comprised a range of groups, including those affected by homelessness, having physical health conditions, living in low- and middle-income countries, and those with sexual and gender minority identities. Establishing and maintaining user engagement was a pervasive challenge across mental health apps and populations, and dropout was a reported problem among nearly all the included studies. Positive subjective reports of usability, satisfaction, and acceptability were insufficient to determine users\' objective engagement.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite the significant amount of funding directed to the development of mental health apps, juxtaposed with only limited empirical evidence to support their effectiveness, few apps have been deliberately developed or adapted to meet the heterogeneous needs of marginalized and underserved young people. Before mental health apps are scaled up, a greater understanding is needed of the types of services that more at-risk young people and those in limited-resource settings prefer (eg, standard vs digital) followed by more rigorous and consistent demonstrations of acceptability, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness. Adopting an iterative participatory approach by involving young people in the development and evaluation process is an essential step in enhancing the adoption of any intervention, including apps, in \"real-world\" settings and will support future implementation and sustainability efforts to ensure that marginalized and underserved groups are reached.
BACKGROUND: PROSPERO CRD42021254241; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=254241.

The meta-analysis aimed to explore the effects of mobile phone applications on weight-related, behavior, and metabolic outcomes among adults with overweight and obesity. Six databases were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between January 1, 2010 and November 7, 2023 in English. Two independent authors conducted study selection, data extraction, quality assessment. The effect size of interventions was calculated using mean difference. A random-effects model was applied for data analysis. A total of 27 studies were included. The results indicated that mobile phone application intervention reduced weight (MD=-1.38 kg, P<0.001, 95% CI -1.97 to -0.80), BMI (MD=-0.44 kg/m2, P<0.001, 95% CI -0.57 to -0.30), WC (MD=-2.13 cm, P=0.004, 95% CI -3.57 to -0.69), fat mass, and DBP (MD=-2.04 mmHg, P=0.01, 95% CI -3.65 to 0.44) with statistical significance. Future studies could consider how to optimize app interventions through behavior change strategies to enhance their overall effectiveness.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, 850 million people suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD), and in Mexico it is the tenth cause of mortality with 13,167 deaths per year. CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis present challenges in following the prescribed treatment and managing care; Therefore, different health strategies have been proposed to address those challenges, including mobile health applications.
OBJECTIVE: Analyze the scientific evidence available worldwide on mobile health applications for patients with CKD on hemodialysis that have been validated, evaluated, implemented or in the process of development.
METHODS: Systematic review of the literature following the PRISMA statement and search question with the PICOT-D format. Databases with keywords in 12 languages were consulted.
RESULTS: Of 474 manuscripts, seven met the inclusion criteria. Mobile health applications were designed using different methodologies. Mobile health applications were found mainly aimed at self-monitoring and/or self-management, including health literacy, of patients with CKD.

Worldwide, more than 5.4 billion people have a smartphone. Based on this, thousands of Apps are being developed, each one with different functions such as: education, communication, organization, home automatization and exercising. The aim of this study was to analyze the scientific evidence available worldwide on mobile applications to promote and motivate exercise in adolescents. It was carried out following the PRISMA. A total of 483 articles were identified, of which 300 were eliminated. For title 247, for abstract 33 and 20 for other reasons, giving a total of 183 articles to assess their eligibility, 158 were eliminated. Remaining 25 articles, 12 for abstract and 26 for other reasons, giving a total of 6 articles included for the study. The use of Apps aimed at adolescents are tools that can help with personal care and health issues in this group.