Evaluation and ranking of consumer health and drug information smartphone applications

Objectives:

Advancements in technology have increased the accessibility of consumer health and drug information.  Currently, there are more than 9000 health-related smartphone applications (apps) available, and the number will only continue to grow.  Therefore, it is important that these apps are user-friendly and provide accurate and reliable information that can be easily understood by the lay person.  The purpose of this project is to identify and rank the best consumer health and drug information smartphone apps based on a set of criteria.

Methods:

This study was not be submitted to an institutional review board for approval prior to commencement as no human subjects were involved in the research.  A five-point system was developed to grade consumer health and drug information smartphone apps.  The evaluation form measured how well the app performed in five major areas- credibility, accuracy of information, evidence-based medicine, health literacy, and ease-of use.  A score of 0 through 5 was given based on the criteria, with a score of 5 indicating the app met all five conditions.  The system was applied to the most popular downloaded free and paid for health and drug information apps from the two platforms with the greatest number of available apps- Android and iPhone. 

Results:

Of the 800 health and fitness apps that were screened, 18 met the criteria for evaluation.  Only 3 of the 18 apps received an overall score of 4 or greater on a 5-point scale- Emergency First Aid and Treatment Guide, WebMD®, and iTriage®.  

Conclusion:

The majority of apps received a score of 2 to 3.9 in the 5 sections and overall average, which leaves room for improvement.  Several objectives in the 5-point system were not applicable .  Revisions to the evaluation will be necessary to better assess consumer health and drug information smartphone apps in the future.