Evaluation of mobile health applications for cancer care using the MARS scale

Philippe-Richard Domeyer, David Liñares Mariñas, Ljiljana Majnaric, Noemi Lopez Rey, Radost Assenova, Jean Yves Le Reste, Ana Clavería

Keywords: Cancer care, MARS, Digital tools, Digital literacy, and Digital skills

Background:

The European project Digital TRANSition and dIgiTal resIlience in ONcology (TRANSiTION) aims to improve digital competences in cancer care professionals. This includes the creation of a guide to digital tools used in cancer integrated management. To achieve this goal, a review of mobile health applications related to cancer care identified by systematic literature review and apps available on the main download platforms was conducted previously. In this step, the aim is to rigorously evaluate each app using a scale validated for this purpose, the MARS (Mobile Application Rating Scale).

Research questions:

Which mobile cancer care apps score best using the MARS?

Method:

18 mobile health applications were evaluated. These apps were prioritised by peer review using the MARS, following an online teaching workshop to standardise the interpretation of the items. This scale allows ranking apps on 5 dimensions: (a) engagement, (b) functionality, (c) aesthetics, (d) information and (e) subjective quality.

Results:

The apps evaluated achieve a low range of scores (Median: 3.40 [3.01–3.84]), with 1 being the lowest possible score and 5 the highest. Only two applications score higher than 4. The highest was ONCOassist app (Global: 4.25), with the best scores for engagement and functionality, and second best for information.

Conclusions:

This study highlights the weaknesses of the available mobile health applications. They do not score consistently in all areas of the MARS. In addition, none of the evaluated apps have undergone scientific validation for their intended purpose and are not adapted to the needs of users, particularly, different health professionals and patients and caregivers.

Points for discussion:

How important is the use of mobile apps that have been rated using a consistent methodology based on predefined ranking criteria?

Demonstration of scientific evidence for newly developed and existing health care apps.

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