dc.contributor.author
Fischer, Florian
dc.contributor.author
Kleen, Sina
dc.date.accessioned
2021-10-28T15:07:06Z
dc.date.available
2021-10-28T15:07:06Z
dc.identifier.uri
https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/32433
dc.identifier.uri
http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-32158
dc.description.abstract
Background: The broad availability of smartphones and the number of health apps in app stores have risen in recent years. Health apps have benefits for individuals (eg, the ability to monitor one's health) as well as for researchers (eg, the ability to collect data in population-based, clinical, and observational studies). Although the number of health apps on the global app market is huge and the associated potential seems to be great, app-based questionnaires for collecting patient-related data have not played an important role in epidemiological studies so far.
Objective: This study aims to provide an overview of studies that have collected patient data using an app-based approach, with a particular focus on longitudinal studies. This literature review describes the current extent to which smartphones have been used for collecting (patient) data for research purposes, and the potential benefits and challenges associated with this approach.
Methods: We conducted a scoping review of studies that used data collection via apps. PubMed was used to identify studies describing the use of smartphone app questionnaires for collecting data over time. Overall, 17 articles were included in the summary.
Results: Based on the results of this scoping review, there are only a few studies that integrate smartphone apps into data-collection approaches. Studies dealing with the collection of health-related data via smartphone apps have mainly been developed with regard to psychosomatic, neurodegenerative, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as malign neoplasm. Among the identified studies, the duration of data collection ranged from 4 weeks to 12 months, and the participants' mean ages ranged from 7 to 69 years. Potential can be seen for real-time information transfer, fast data synchronization (which saves time and increases effectivity), and the possibility of tracking responses longitudinally. Furthermore, smartphone-based data-collection techniques might prevent biases, such as reminder bias or mistakes occurring during manual data transfers. In chronic diseases, real-time communication with physicians and early detection of symptoms enables rapid modifications in disease management.
Conclusions: The results indicate that using mobile technologies can help to overcome challenges linked with data collection in epidemiological research. However, further feasibility studies need to be conducted in the near future to test the applicability and acceptance of these mobile apps for epidemiological research in various subpopulations.
en
dc.rights.uri
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject
questionnaire
en
dc.subject
epidemiology
en
dc.subject.ddc
600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften::610 Medizin und Gesundheit::610 Medizin und Gesundheit
dc.title
Possibilities, Problems, and Perspectives of Data Collection by Mobile Apps in Longitudinal Epidemiological Studies: Scoping Review
dc.type
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.articlenumber
e17691
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.doi
10.2196/17691
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.journaltitle
Journal of Medical Internet Research
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.number
1
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.originalpublishername
JMIR Publications
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.volume
23
refubium.affiliation
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
refubium.resourceType.isindependentpub
no
dcterms.accessRights.openaire
open access
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.pmid
33480850
dcterms.isPartOf.eissn
1438-8871