Department of Public Administration, Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia.
Department of Public Health, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia.
Front Public Health. 2022 May 4;10:879695. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.879695. eCollection 2022.
Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) have been widely used for various purposes for mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic, such as self-assessment, contact tracing, disseminating information, minimizing exposure, and reducing face-to-face health consultation. The objective of this study is to systematically review COVID-19 related mHealth apps and highlight gaps to inform the development of future mHealth initiatives in Indonesia.
A systematic search strategy using a PRISMA flowchart was used to identify mHealth apps available in Google Play and Apple Play stores. We searched mHealth apps using certain specific terms related to COVID-19 outbreaks. The inclusion criteria were apps-based smartphone users related to COVID-19 using local language, free of cost, available in the Google Play and Apple Play Stores, and supported by the Indonesian government. We excluded games, apps on infectious diseases unrelated to COVID-19 specifically, and apps with non-Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian language). The selected mHealth apps were assessed based on two measures: (1) the WHO guidelines on digital health intervention and (2) the four dimensions of the mHealth technology fit framework. In addition, user feedback from experienced and non-experienced users was conducted to evaluate four dimensions of the apps.
A total of 339 mHealth apps were generated from the initial search, remaining seven selected apps that met inclusion criteria. The results highlighted that mHealth apps reviewed had still not been widely used by the general public. The applications were purposed to disseminate information, conduct a self-risk assessment, provide an online community forum, and telemedicine or teleconsultation regarding COVID-19. Data services, including data storage, aggregation, and data exchange, are available in most apps. The rarest function found was contact tracing and assisting health management and health workers, such as the availability of testing facilities, reporting test results, and prescribing medication. The main issues reported were the lack of data security and data privacy protection, integration and infrastructures, usability, and usefulness.
Our study highlighted the necessity to improve mHealth apps' functions related to assisting health workers and the function of digital contact tracing. An effort to increase public awareness regarding the use of mHealth is also necessary to streamline the function of this innovation. Policymakers must consider usefulness, usability, integration, and infrastructure issues to improve their mHealth function.
移动健康应用程序（mHealth 应用程序）已被广泛用于各种目的，以减轻 COVID-19 大流行的影响，例如自我评估、接触者追踪、信息传播、最小化暴露和减少面对面健康咨询。本研究的目的是系统地回顾 COVID-19 相关的 mHealth 应用程序，并突出差距，为印度尼西亚未来的 mHealth 计划提供信息。
使用 PRISMA 流程图的系统搜索策略，在 Google Play 和 Apple Play 商店中确定 mHealth 应用程序。我们使用与 COVID-19 爆发相关的特定术语搜索 mHealth 应用程序。纳入标准是基于智能手机的应用程序用户与 COVID-19 相关，使用当地语言，免费，可在 Google Play 和 Apple Play 商店中使用，并得到印度尼西亚政府的支持。我们排除了游戏、与 COVID-19 无关的传染病应用程序以及非印度尼西亚语（印尼语）的应用程序。选择的 mHealth 应用程序根据以下两个标准进行评估：（1）世界卫生组织关于数字健康干预的指南和（2）mHealth 技术适应框架的四个维度。此外，对有经验和无经验的用户进行了用户反馈，以评估应用程序的四个维度。
从最初的搜索中总共生成了 339 个 mHealth 应用程序，有 7 个符合纳入标准的应用程序被选中。结果表明，审查的 mHealth 应用程序尚未被公众广泛使用。这些应用程序旨在传播信息、进行自我风险评估、提供在线社区论坛以及进行关于 COVID-19 的远程医疗或远程咨询。大多数应用程序都提供数据服务，包括数据存储、聚合和数据交换。发现的最罕见的功能是接触者追踪和协助卫生管理和卫生工作者，例如测试设施的可用性、报告测试结果和开出处方。报告的主要问题是缺乏数据安全性和数据隐私保护、集成和基础设施、可用性和有用性。
我们的研究强调了改进与协助卫生工作者和数字接触者追踪相关的 mHealth 应用程序功能的必要性。还需要提高公众对使用 mHealth 的认识，以简化这一创新的功能。政策制定者必须考虑有用性、可用性、集成和基础设施问题，以改进其 mHealth 功能。
