A survey on trend, opportunities and challenges of mHealth apps

Abstract

Advancement of mobile technologies such as smartphones and PC tablets has given a great impact on healthcare systems. The mobile technology offers innovative approaches to addressing complex health concerns. Many mobile health applications (mHealth apps) are currently available on marketplaces. These apps are designed to facilitate various health issues and problems, and are intended to be used outside clinics. However, very little research has been conducted to address trend, opportunities, and challenging issues of the apps. The purpose of this study is to investigate the current state of mHealth. A literature survey was conducted. Major findings of this study include, smartphones will be the major platform for mHealth apps, the number of published software is much higher than published scientific research, current mHealth apps lacking in grounded based theory and evaluation, and security and usability issues are still vulnerable. The findings suggest that involvement of all healthcare stakeholders is critical to the success of mHealth apps.