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Journal ArticleDOI

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

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TLDR
This work proposes several strategies to enhance the development of evidence-based medical apps while retaining their open nature, and establishes appropriate regulatory procedures to enable this potential to be fulfilled, while at all times ensuring the safety of the patient.
Abstract
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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Citations
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Validating the relationship between service quality, patient sensitivity and experience towards medical applications using SERVQUAL

TL;DR: In this article , the authors examined the relationship between service quality of medical apps, patient sensitivity, and patient experience and found that patients prioritised service quality factors like reliability, tangibility, empathy, responsiveness and assurance when selecting services from medical applications.
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Las apps en la identidad digital hospitalaria: implicaciones en la reputación y tendencias

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors studied the impact of health apps on the hospitals' reputación and concluded that apps add value to reputation when they disseminate information that is useful to the patient, responds to hospital care priorities and respects confidentiality and security.
Journal ArticleDOI

Collaborative work and eHealth in Colombia

TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyse the profiles of professionals and students from the health sector in Colombia, and describe how their socio-demographic characteristics and their technological skills affect the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
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Clinical involvement and transparency in medical apps: reply to O'Neill and Brady

TL;DR: It is assumed that it is essential for clinical experts to be involved in the development of medical apps for them to be reliable, accurate, evidence-based and safe.
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El uso de la web 2.0 en la comunicación de los profesionales de la Salud en Colombia

TL;DR: Gender, age, having children, socioeconomic status, training level and the years of experience of the members of the study population significantly affect the use of webs 2.0 social-level resources available today.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI

Smartphone App Use Among Medical Providers in ACGME Training Programs

TL;DR: The clinical use of smartphones and apps will likely continue to increase, and the absence of high-quality and popular apps despite a strong desire among physicians and trainees is demonstrated.
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Smartphone applications for pain management.

TL;DR: Pain apps appear to be able to promise pain relief without any concern for the effectiveness of the product, or for possible adverse effects of product use, and there is considerable risk of individuals being misled.
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Smartphone Apps for Orthopaedic Surgeons

TL;DR: Few highly ranked apps specifically related to orthopaedic surgery are available, and the types of apps available do not appear to be the categories most desired by residents and surgeons.
Journal ArticleDOI

Medical professional involvement in smartphone 'apps' in dermatology.

TL;DR: In this case, IVIG therapy may be considered as a new therapeutic option in resistant forms of IGDA and the exact mechanism of action of IVIG remains unclear.
Journal ArticleDOI

Verifying quality and safety in health informatics services.

TL;DR: If informatics systems are increasingly essential in the delivery of health care then their integrity and quality must be of equal importance, but this has been scarcely recognised to date.
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