mHealth Apps: Overwhelming Choice, Limited Proven Efficacy, Security Issues

According a new study just released by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, the number of mobile health applications (mHealth apps) available to consumers now surpasses 165,000. The study, Patient Adoption of mHealth: Use, Evidence and Remaining Barriers to Mainstream Acceptance, analyzed 26,864 apps available in the U.S. Apple iTunes and Android app stores -- a representative sample of the most widely used mHealth apps by consumers.

The problem is this: too many apps, too little efficacy in terms of health outcomes.

"The fast-paced growth of the healthcare app market has outpaced the ability to develop oversight and guidance for accuracy of clinical content contained in mHealth apps," concludes the report. "The sheer volume of choices in the consumer mHealth apps available in the absence of a mechanism for certifying or ranking apps leaves providers and consumers on their own to navigate app selection. This environment leads to provider reluctance in prescribing mHealth apps given the unknowns about accuracy, efficacy as well as security."

What's the solution?

Read more »