App Downloads Research Articles

Warm for fun, cool for work: the effect of color temperature on users’ attitudes and behaviors toward hedonic vs. utilitarian mobile apps

PurposeIn the competitive app store environment, understanding how various app store elements influence user preferences is crucial. While prior research has primarily focused on textual and numeric elements of app stores, the role of visual elements remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by investigating how color temperature (warm vs. cool) in app screenshots can influence users’ intentions to download hedonic vs. utilitarian mobile apps.Design/methodology/approachMultiple online experiments were conducted, including two main experiments (N = 192) and two supplementary experiments (N = 157). The experiments manipulated the color temperature of screenshots for hedonic (e.g. gaming) and utilitarian (e.g. banking) apps and measured participants’ perceptions of color appropriateness, attitudinal responses, and download intentions.FindingsWarm colors were perceived as more appropriate for hedonic apps, while cool colors were perceived as more suitable for utilitarian apps. The congruence between color temperature and app value orientation significantly influenced users’ ad attitudes and app download intentions. Specifically, hedonic apps in warm colors and utilitarian apps in cool colors received more favorable responses, with perceived color appropriateness mediating this effect.Originality/valueThis research enhances the understanding of the impact of color on app users’ perceptions and behaviors and also offers valuable insights for app developers and marketers on effectively using color as a visual marketing tool in app store environments.

Smartphone apps pertaining to aquaculture sector in Bangladesh: Current status and future potentials

In recent years, the aquaculture sector in Bangladesh has experienced significant technological advancements, notably the adoption of smartphone applications. This empirical study evaluates the current status of smartphone apps available in the aquaculture industry of the country using data obtained from the internet and field surveys. The study identified 41 smartphone apps currently used in the sector, where 58.53 % are related to pond-based aquaculture, 14.63 % are designed for biofloc system, 4.87 % pertain to cage aquaculture and 4.87 % marketing-aided corporate-related apps, 9.75 % focus on disease and treatment-related, and 7.31 % fall into miscellaneous categories. The “Poultry Animals and Aqua Index (PAAI)" app, which addresses aquaculture pharmaceutical inputs and fish disease treatment guidelines, emerged as the most downloaded app in this domain. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that app size or user ratings did not influence app downloads. The study also found that approximately 57.66 % of fish farmers are aware of these smartphone apps. Private fisheries professionals were the main driving forces behind the use of these apps, accounting for 52 % of the information spread. Despite mixed levels of satisfaction among farmers, about 25 % expressed a positive experience. Most of the farmers (57.66 %) acknowledged the awareness and beneficial impacts of using these apps in aquaculture. This study enhances the understanding of smartphone apps usage in Bangladesh to promote the aquaculture industry, highlighting its potential to promote industry growth, alleviate poverty, and contribute to economic development.

The Influence of Mobile App Store Ratings and Reviews on Download Intentions: A Study of Sri Lankan Consumers

Purpose: This study aims to understand the impact of user reviews and ratings on mobile app download intention and the moderating impact of perceived usefulness on the strength of this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: A scenario-based survey method was selected following the positivism research paradigm. For this purpose, 304 responses were collected using different versions of the same scenario. Findings: The statistical results show that 37.5% of Sri Lankan consumers' mobile app download intention is explained by mobile app ratings and reviews, which have been found to be a significant influencing factor in potential users' intentions to download the app. However, perceived usefulness does not significantly moderate this relationship. Originality: This study is the first attempt to understand the impact of user reviews and ratings on mobile app download intention in the Sri Lankan context. Implications: The findings encourage Sri Lankan mobile app developers and owners to closely monitor and respond to user reviews and ratings to better meet user expectations and improve app ratings.

Mini-Program Enabled IoT Intelligent Molecular Diagnostic Device for Co-Detection and Spatiotemporal Mapping of Infectious Disease Pathogens.

Effective detection of infectious pathogens is crucial for disease prevention and control. We present an innovative Internet of Things (IoT) molecular diagnostic device featuring a WeChat mini-program for simultaneous detection and spatiotemporal mapping of respiratory pathogens. Leveraging social software's widespread usage, our device integrates seamlessly with WeChat, eliminating the need for app downloads and installations. Through a comprehensive detection system, including a user-friendly mini-program, a portable Point-of-Care fluorescence detector, and a diagnostic information management platform (EzDx Cloud), we demonstrate high sensitivity and specificity in detecting common respiratory viruses. Our SARS-CoV-2/H1N1 combo test kit, developed using a novel one-tube/one-step loop-mediated isothermal amplification-CRISPR method, shows remarkable performance. We address challenges in at-home nucleic acid testing by providing a cost-effective solution capable of detecting multiple pathogens simultaneously. Our system's versatility accommodates various assays operating at different temperatures and fluorescence intensities, offering significant advantages over traditional methods. Moreover, integration with EzDx Cloud facilitates disease monitoring and early warning systems, enhancing public health management. This study highlights the potential of our IoT molecular diagnostic device in revolutionizing infectious disease detection and control, with wide-ranging applications in both human and animal population.

Implementing injury prevention training in youth handball (I-PROTECT) in Sweden: study protocol for a cluster randomised trial

IntroductionEfficacy trials show that evidence-based injury prevention training reduces injuries in youth athletes but effectiveness, that is, outside the controlled setting, is lower and, consequently this training has had limited...

Alcohol Interventions on Online Grocery Shopping Platforms

Introduction & BackgroundThere is opportunity to engage light to moderate drinkers in alcohol reduction interventions as a preventative measure. In the space of online grocery shopping there is an added challenge in intervention development in the form of deceptive patterns, which influence consumer behaviour in unhealthy ways including automating behaviour and encouraging overconsumption. Objectives & ApproachThe objectives of this study are to: 1) identify deceptive patterns in the online grocery shopping context, 2) develop interventions which support healthier decision making in this context, 3) apply those interventions to appropriate product categories. The method utilised in the first objective is heuristic analysis which was conducted across eleven major online grocery shopping platforms. The interventions were then developed using the Rapid Iterative Testing and Evaluation (RITE) method, which involved interviewing participants and iterating upon the inventions after every interview. Each interview was analysed using content analysis. When incorporating the interventions into the online grocery shopping environment, interviews were conducted to gain insight into drinking and purchasing habits of consumers. These final interviews were then analysed with inductive thematic analysis. Relevance to Digital FootprintsDigital Footprints underpin the entire intervention development space. The background of the project is built upon human shopping and interaction behaviour online when encountering deceptive patterns. These deceptive patterns have been established using mobile gaming micro-transaction data, online grocery shopping log-in and rewards data, among other data sources. Digital Footprints data can further support the findings from the thematic analysis by further showing cultural and social trends around drinking (e.g., increased purchasing of seasonal beers and ciders in the summer and during sporting tournaments). The purpose of the drinking identified through those social and cultural trends gauge the appropriateness of proposed alcohol interventions. Beyond this, digital footprints data around engagement with health and wellness promoting applications (e.g., active users and app downloads) provides greater insight into the types of health messaging that garner attention and can be used to further inform how to approach those currently outside the health-engaged group. Digital footprints serve to attach larger societal trends to the smaller-scaled interviews and thematic analysis conducted as part of the study. ResultsInitial findings have shown opportunities for nudging light to moderate drinkers who primarily consume beer, wine, or cider. Spirits have been identified as difficult to substitute due to a lack of substitution options in the low alcohol spirit category that are widely available on the consumer market via online grocery retailers. Conclusions & ImplicationsWithout significant change, costs to the National Health Service (NHS) in alcohol related harm are set to rise by over 1 billion GBP. Alcohol consumption is a public health risk and there are opportunities to utilise digital footprint informed interventions to engage the public in preventative interventions.

Personalised app-based information for patients with breast cancer: A pilot study to assess the efficacy and usability of the Answers 4 Cancers app.

e13796 Background: While most Irish oncology patients (pts) report searching for information online, they encounter challenges finding accurate, illness-specific information and understanding the content. Irish oncology pts typically use international online resources due to limited dedicated Irish sources. Information from the clinic is often poorly retained, with up to 40-80% immediately forgotten. Following the development of a successful patient information podcast, Answers 4 Cancers, we launched an app providing personalised patient information to address this resource gap. To our knowledge, this is the first app for oncology pts incorporating individual patient onboarding by healthcare professionals to provide tailored patient-specific information. Supportive self-management with app-based information has been shown to save nursing hours, improving burden on resources, and is aligned with the goals of the Irish National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026. Aim: To assess the usability of our app and its efficacy in providing relevant and useful information to pts. Methods: Pts with early stage breast cancer receiving (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy, with or without immunotherapy, at 2 Irish cancer centres, were enrolled in a pilot study. Pts downloaded the app and met with a specialist nurse who onboarded the pt and streamlined the information in the app based on their individual diagnosis and treatment plan. Information available on the app is curated from reliable sources and includes mental health and sexual wellbeing resources, clinical trials information, and personalised information on diagnosis, chemotherapy regimen, planned surgery and adjuvant treatments. Pts completed an online questionnaire, which included components of the System Usability Scale, ≥1 week following app download. Results: 13 pts were enrolled and received access to the app. All pts were female. The median age was 45 yrs. Median length of time from app download to questionnaire completion was 21 days. 7 pts (54%) completed questionnaires. 100% (7/7) of patients reported that they would like to use the app frequently, felt more confident in their treatment plan after using the app, and would recommend the app to other pts. 100% (7/7) of pts found the app easy to use and found all the information in the app relevant to their treatment plan. Recruitment is ongoing. Conclusions: This pilot study confirms that an app with a personalised platform is feasible and beneficial to Irish cancer pts and may be applicable to other health jurisdictions. We plan to progress our app as a national project to support the goals of the National Cancer Strategy and facilitate empowering pts to take an active role in their care. Next phases of development include symptom tracking and in-app communication between pts to develop support networks, and assessing the impact of the app on nursing time saved.

Trends in Adverse Event Reporting Before and After the Introduction of the Med Safety App in Nigeria.

Spontaneous reporting of adverse events (AEs) is a mainstay of pharmacovigilance, and an ongoing challenge is how to ensure that more high-quality reports are collected for comprehensive information provision. The Med Safety App, a smartphone-based application, was launched in Nigeria in November 2020 to provide an electronic platform for users to seamlessly report AEs. There has been a paucity of evidence on the use of this application or other mobile applications for reporting adverse drug reactions/AEs following immunization in the Nigerian environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trends in adverse event reporting before and after the introduction of the Med Safety App in Nigeria. This was a retrospective, observational study using data from the VigiFlow database to compare adverse event reporting in Nigeria before and after the deployment of the Med Safety App. The baseline period was 1st April 2019to 30th October 2020 and the comparison period was 1st November 2020to 31st May 2022. We used Vigilance Hub, the back-end system for the Med Safety App, to extract data on App downloads and de-identified user statistics. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics, frequencies and proportions. Quality was assessed by assigning a completeness score to each individual case safety report. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to test for differences in medians between groups. Following deployment of the App, the Nigerian National Pharmacovigilance Centre recorded an increase in the total number of adverse event reports received in VigiFlow, from 2051 in the baseline period to 18,995 following deployment of the App, with 81.7% of those reported via the Med Safety App. There was a reduction in the proportion of paper-based reporting from 98.4 to 15.7% post-deployment, and direct reporting by consumers increased from 2.7 to 17.6%. Of the 15,526 reports submitted via the App, 15,111 (97.3%) had a completeness score above 70% and 6993 (45%) had a completeness score of 100%. The median completeness score of adverse event reports on the Med Safety App was 6 out of 7. On bivariate analysis using the Kruskal-Wallis test, there was an association between means of reporting and completeness score, and this association was significant, with a p value of 0.0001, which may reflect the validation rules that are applied within the App. Deployment of the Med Safety App increased both the number and quality of adverse event reports; however, more awareness and capacity building are needed to strengthen and sustain reporting on the tool by all categories of healthcare professionals and consumers/patients.

Attributes, Quality, and Downloads of Dementia-Related Mobile Apps for Patients With Dementia and Their Caregivers: App Review and Evaluation Study.

The adoption of mobile health (mHealth) apps among older adults (>65 years) is rapidly increasing. However, use of such apps has not been fully effective in supporting people with dementia and their caregivers in their daily lives. This is mainly attributed to the heterogeneous quality of mHealth apps, highlighting the need for improved app quality in the development of dementia-related mHealth apps. The aims of this study were (1) to assess the quality and content of mobile apps for dementia management and (2) to investigate the relationship between app quality and download numbers. We reviewed dementia-related mHealth apps available in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in Taiwan. The identified mobile apps were stratified according to a random sampling approach and evaluated by five independent reviewers with sufficient training and proficiency in the field of mHealth and the related health care sector. App quality was scored according to the user version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale. A correlation analysis was then performed between the app quality score and number of app downloads. Among the 17 apps that were evaluated, only one was specifically designed to provide dementia-related education. The mean score for the overall app quality was 3.35 (SD 0.56), with the engagement (mean 3.04, SD 0.82) and information (mean 3.14, SD 0.88) sections of the scale receiving the lowest ratings. Our analyses showed clear differences between the top three- and bottom three-rated apps, particularly in the entertainment and interest subsections of the engagement category where the ratings ranged from 1.4 to 5. The top three apps had a common feature in their interface, which included memory, attention, focus, calculation, and speed-training games, whereas the apps that received lower ratings were found to be deficient in providing adequate information. Although there was a correlation between the number of downloads (5000 or more) and app quality (t15=4.087, P<.001), this may not be a significant determinant of the app's perceived impact. The quality of dementia-related mHealth apps is highly variable. In particular, our results show that the top three quality apps performed well in terms of engagement and information, and they all received more than 5000 downloads. The findings of this study are limited due to the small sample size and possibility of disregarding exceptional occurrences. Publicly available expert ratings of mobile apps could help people with dementia and their caregivers choose a quality mHealth app.

Don't judge a book or health app by its cover: User ratings and downloads are not linked to quality.

To analyse the relationship between health app quality with user ratings and the number of downloads of corresponding health apps. Utilising a dataset of 881 Android-based health apps, assessed via the 300-point objective Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Applications (ORCHA) assessment tool, we explored whether subjective user-level indicators of quality (user ratings and downloads) correlate with objective quality scores in the domains of user experience, data privacy and professional/clinical assurance. For this purpose, we applied spearman correlation and multiple linear regression models. For user experience, professional/clinical assurance and data privacy scores, all models had very low adjusted R squared values (< .02). Suggesting that there is no meaningful link between subjective user ratings or the number of health app downloads and objective quality measures. Spearman correlations suggested that prior downloads only had a very weak positive correlation with user experience scores (Spearman = .084, p = .012) and data privacy scores (Spearman = .088, p = .009). There was a very weak negative correlation between downloads and professional/clinical assurance score (Spearman = -.081, p = .016). Additionally, user ratings demonstrated a very weak correlation with no statistically significant correlations observed between user ratings and the scores (all p > 0.05). For ORCHA scores multiple linear regression had adjusted R-squared = -.002. This study highlights that widely available proxies which users may perceive to signify the quality of health apps, namely user ratings and downloads, are inaccurate predictors for estimating quality. This indicates the need for wider use of quality assurance methodologies which can accurately determine the quality, safety, and compliance of health apps. Findings suggest more should be done to enable users to recognise high-quality health apps, including digital health literacy training and the provision of nationally endorsed "libraries".

The role of nudge-based messages on the acceptability and download of COVID-19 contact tracing apps: survey experiments

AbstractWe investigated the effectiveness of nudge-based messages in promoting the download of contact tracing apps, particularly in the context of low uptake due to serious distrust in the product. Even in the presence of distrust towards the app, promoting downloads can be a beneficial means of preventing infection spread at a stage before pharmacological interventions, such as vaccines or therapeutic drugs, are established. Two studies were conducted with Japanese residents who had not yet downloaded any contact tracing apps. Study 1, based on smartphone location data, targeted 2690 individuals who had gone out despite public instructions to stay at home. Study 2 targeted 4126 individuals whose web-search behavior could be tracked. Nudge-based messages did not increase app downloads in either study. In Study 1, where participants were considered non-cooperative, these messages also did not enhance acceptability such as willingness to accept and intention to download the apps. Conversely, in Study 2, a more representative sample, nudge-based messages emphasizing altruism, economic losses, and medical losses increased app acceptability, although they did not increase searches related to the app's keywords.

Teenager Perspectives on COVID Alert, a Digital Exposure Notification App in Canada

PurposeCOVID Alert is an exposure notification app deployed in Canada to help limit the spread of COVID-19. MethodsThis was a cross-sectional survey conducted in Québec, Canada. The questionnaire was codesigned with patients and members of the public. It assessed the perspectives of teenagers aged 15–17 years old. ResultsAmong 237 respondents, 27% had downloaded the COVID Alert app. Friends and relatives constituted the largest influence for app download. The most frequently reported concerns included threats to privacy, confidentiality, cybersecurity, and geolocalization. Among nonusers, having more social contacts and evidence demonstrating effectiveness would have motivated app download. Individual factors associated with download included high concern about the pandemic and high self-perceived app knowledge. DiscussionFuture digital health interventions should engage teenagers in developing tools that promote social acceptance and responsible use in this group.

Mobile Toolbox: Remote, unsupervised longitudinal assessment of a diverse cohort in the UCSF Brain Health Registry

AbstractBackgroundA critical need in the AD field is development and validation of efficient, scalable cognitive assessments to identify older adults with cognitive impairment. The Mobile Toolbox (MTB), a novel suite of app‐based cognitive assessments, was developed to address this need. The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility, usability, compliance, longitudinal retention, and validity of MTB assessment in a large, ethnoculturally and educationally diverse cohort in a remote, unsupervised setting.MethodParticipants were recruited from the UCSF Brain Health Registry (BHR), an online study. BHR participants were invited by email, screened for eligibility (English fluency and access to a compatible smartphone), and provided online instructions for MTB app download. All participants could complete a baseline administration. A subset was invited to a longitudinal study, in which they complete MTB assessments at a short‐term timepoint (day 7, 14, or 21; study arms sequentially assigned), and then at 6‐month intervals. Enrollment goals were N = 800 with equal distribution across 10‐year age bands (ages 18‐80+); 60% with &lt;16 years of education; 10% non‐Latinx Black, 15% Latinx, and 5% non‐White other ethnocultural identity.ResultOver a 5‐month period, 48,110 BHR participants were invited to the study. Of those, 8287 (17%) expressed interest, 3554 (7%) completed baseline assessment, and 1327 (3%) were assigned to the longitudinal study. Participants submitted 1205 help tickets asking for email support to complete MTB. The baseline and longitudinal cohorts underrepresented Black individuals and younger age bands, despite targeted recruitment efforts (Table 1). Longitudinal completion rates were 59.0% for the short‐term timeline and 55.2% for the 6‐month timepoint, and varied by ethnocultural group (Figure 1). Compared to those invited, those who enrolled in the longitudinal study were older, had higher education, and were more likely to identify as female non‐Latinx White (p&lt;0.05).ConclusionResults demonstrate feasibility and usability of remote, unsupervised MTB assessment. Underrepresented populations were less likely to enrolled and to complete assessments at baseline and longitudinally, emphasizing the need to develop more inclusive recruitment and engagement efforts. This approach can be scaled up to efficiently assess cognition in many research, clinical trial, and healthcare settings.

Heyy, how are you doing? – Redefine employees’ outlook towards mental health

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes of this case study are to understand the business-to-business (B2B) consumer outlook on mental health care in emerging markets; analyse the challenges faced in creating a need for mental health care in Indian workplaces; explore the business attractiveness of the B2B model and understand the business potential of the B2B segment at heyy,; and contemplate different innovative strategies that could change consumer mindset on mental health care in emerging markets. Case overview/synopsis Ankit, the founder and CEO of heyy, was facing a conundrum. “heyy,” was built on normalizing mental well-being at workplaces. His mental health-care app heyy, had crossed 50,000 subscribers within a few months of launch. The mobile app was designed to spread mental health awareness and provide various levels of mental well-being interventions. Business-to-consumer and B2B customer segmentation had been targeted by this start-up. The B2B space consisted of employees working with partner organizations. The adoption rates of employees using the features of heyy, declined after the initial app download. The employees had yet to fully become acclimatized to the features of heyy,. Exploring the business potential and investigating the business attractiveness of the B2B segment were the focus of the present study. Ankit contemplated various strategies he could adopt to increase user adoption of “heyy,” services by employees in his partner organizations. The case study strives to address the question – “What are the risks faced by organizations when entering the mental health-care industry in emerging markets like India, where mental health care is still not openly discussed?” Complexity academic level This case study is designed to be taught as part of the “entrepreneurship development” and “strategic management” courses for undergraduates, postgraduates and students of executive programmes in management. Students need to be aware of basic strategic management concepts such as BCG matrix, SWOT analysis and business canvas before working on this case study, so they could dissect the case from multiple perspectives to get a comprehensive outlook on the case. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

A self-management app to improve asthma control in adults with limited health literacy: a mixed-method feasibility study

BackgroundDigital technology tailored for those with limited health literacy has the potential to reduce health inequalities. Although mobile apps can support self-management in chronic diseases, there is little evidence that this approach applies to people with limited health literacy. We aimed to determine the acceptability of a self-management app in adults living with asthma and have limited health literacy and the feasibility of delivering the intervention and assessing outcomes.MethodsWe recruited eligible adults from the Klang Asthma Cohort registry in primary care for a 3-month mixed-method study plus a 2-month extended observation. We collected baseline data on socio-demography, health literacy and asthma control level. The outcomes of the intervention were assessed at 1- and 3-month: i) adoption (app download and usage), ii) adherence (app usage), iii) retention (app usage in the observation period), iv) health outcomes (e.g., severe asthma attacks) and v) process outcomes (e.g., ownership and use of action plans). At 1-month, participants were purposively sampled for in-depth interviews, which were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed deductively.ResultsWe recruited 48 participants; 35 participants (23 Female; median age = 43 years; median HLS score = 28) completed the 3 months study. Of these, 14 participants (10 Female; median age = 48 years; median HLS score = 28) provided interviews. Thirty-seven (77%) participants adopted the app (downloaded and used it in the first month of the study). The main factor reported as influencing adoption was the ease of using the app. A total of 950 app usage were captured during the 3-month feasibility study. App usage increased gradually, peaking at month 2 (355 total log-ins) accounting for 78% of users. In month 5, 51.4% of the participants used the app at least once. The main factors influencing continued use included adherence features (e.g., prompts and reminders), familiarity with app function and support from family members.ConclusionsAn asthma self-management app intervention was acceptable for adults with limited health literacy and it was feasible to collect the desired outcomes at different time points during the study. A future trial is warranted to estimate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the intervention and to explore implementation strategies.

Assessing Technology Innovation of Mobile Health Apps for Medical Care Providers

In recent years, mobile health applications (mHealth apps) have created a new social context in the clinical diagnosis process based on technology innovation. To improve understanding of digital transformation in healthcare and determinants for its implementation, this article examines the available mHealth apps addressed to medical practitioners and explores these apps features&#x2019; trustworthiness, quality, and popularity. Based on the normalization process theory, we explain the process from the introduction of mHealth innovation in the clinical practice to the intention of professional engagement. We conduct content analysis of the apps&#x2019; descriptions, functions, and user reviews; measured available app features and performance metrics; and applied statistical analysis to understand features intercorrelations and users&#x2019; preferences. We observe moderate levels of reliability and quality in the existing mHealth apps, revealing margins for potential improvement. The mHealth app star rating, quality score, and downloads are all highly intercorrelated. The apps with more features score higher in quality, especially those with credible sources, feedback opportunities, and &#x201C;how to use&#x201D; instructions. App development from credible sources can increase their trustworthiness. Further, technological advances in these apps can greatly benefit health professionals&#x2019; everyday practice and, thus, healthcare for society. This article contributes to the information systems research by using social theories to reveal the importance of app features to the adoption of professional health applications and underline the sets of policies&#x002F;practices that should apply in the app development process to strengthen clinical efficiency and effectiveness.

Adoption and Use of the NHS App in England: a mixed-methods evaluation.

The NHS App was launched as a 'front door' to digitally enabled health services, offering a range of services including appointment booking and ordering prescriptions. The extent of App use and its impacts on digital inclusion is under-explored. To evaluate patterns of App uptake and adoption among different population groups. Interrupted time series analyses explored aggregate monthly App usage from January 2019 - May 2021. Regression model assessed differences in App registration by markers of GP level socio-demographic variables. Qualitative interviews and focus groups involving 83 participants were conducted and analysed thematically. There were 8,524,882 App downloads and 4,449,869 registrations. Negative binomial models found 25% less registrations in the most deprived practices (P <0.001) and 44% more registrations in the largest practices (P<0.001). Registration was 36% more in practices with the highest percentage of White patients (P <0.001) and 23% more in practices with highest percentage of 15-34-year-olds (P <0.001). In contrast, App registration was 13% less in practices with highest percentage of males (P <0.001) and 2% less in those with highest percentage of people with long-term care needs (P <0.001). Qualitative evaluation found that the App was not perceived as relevant or accessible for all and there are important cultural considerations (for example, language barriers and some restrictions in symptom checking for non-White skin). However, it can enable patients to hold services accountable. There is high uptake of the NHS App but there are differences in adoption rates among different population groups and issues of relevance and accessibility, that warrant further work.

Uptake and adoption of the NHS App in England: an observational study.

Technological advances have led to the use of patient portals that give people digital access to their personal health information. The NHS App was launched in January 2019 as a 'front door' to digitally enabled health services. To evaluate patterns of uptake of the NHS App, subgroup differences in registration, and the impact of COVID-19. An observational study using monthly NHS App user data at general-practice level in England was conducted. Descriptive statistics and time-series analysis explored monthly NHS App use from January 2019-May 2021. Interrupted time-series models were used to identify changes in the level and trend of use of different functionalities, before and after the first COVID-19 lockdown. Negative binomial regression assessed differences in app registration by markers of general-practice level sociodemographic variables. Between January 2019 and May 2021, there were 8 524 882 NHS App downloads and 4 449 869 registrations, with a 4-fold increase in App downloads when the COVID Pass feature was introduced. Analyses by sociodemographic data found 25% lower registrations in the most deprived practices (P<0.001), and 44% more registrations in the largest sized practices (P<0.001). Registration rates were 36% higher in practices with the highest proportion of registered White patients (P<0.001), 23% higher in practices with the largest proportion of 15-34-year-olds (P<0.001) and 2% lower in practices with highest proportion of people with long-term care needs (P<0.001). The uptake of the NHS App substantially increased post-lockdown, most significantly after the NHS COVID Pass feature was introduced. An unequal pattern of app registration was identified, and the use of different functions varied. Further research is needed to understand these patterns of inequalities and their impact on patient experience.

Mitigating information asymmetry to acquire venture capital financing for digital startups in China: The role of weak and strong signals

AbstractThis paper addresses how weak and strong signals affect venture capital funding acquired by digital startups at their early stage in various industries of China. We also articulate the interaction mechanism of these strong and weak signals by demonstrating their complementary or substitutive effects in alleviating information asymmetry on startup quality, which can help digital startups secure venture capital financing. Drawing on signalling theory and institutional legitimacy theory, we introduce application (app) downloads as a novel strong signal that can reduce market legitimacy concerns, and previous‐round venture capitalist reputation as a traditional strong signal that mitigates regulatory legitimacy concerns. We treat founders' startup and IT experience as weak signals, as they provide rhetorical and indirect information indicating a startup's potential to establish regulatory and market legitimacy. The study empirically investigates our hypotheses using data of 163 digital startups in various industries of China. Results confirm the positive relationships between strong signals and venture capital funding secured by a digital startup. Furthermore, signals of similar strength are found to complement each other's effects in certain situations, while strong signals can reduce the effects of weak signals on a digital startup's financing performance under specific conditions that create these mixed effects. Implications for digital startup research and practice as well as limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The Research on the Context and Style of Avant-garde Fashion on Chinese Social Media Platforms

The way the general public comprehends, and processes fashion has evolved as a direct result of the proliferation of social media platforms, particularly the growth of the "influencer" profession, which has steadily eroded the once-dominant position of fashion magazines and editors. This study does more than only close the gaps in the knowledge of avant-garde fashion's communication and style; it also delves into the curious phenomena of niche fashion trends shared on Chinese social media. The authors analyzed the contexts of fashion-related influencers on TikTok and Xiaohongshu, like @AHALOLO, @MetaArchive, and @Instantly to fill the gaps in the understanding of fashion subcultures. The study also addressed the phenomenon of "viral" fashion trends on Wechat, Bilibili, and Tiktok. It concluded that the continued existence of labels is primarily attributed to the media's efforts. By increasing brand awareness, audience engagement, customer service, advertising income, and app downloads, media has helped firms keep their operational costs and revenue high. As facilitated by new media, the rapid and varied dissemination of fashion ideas may increase both their societal and consumer worth. The exchange of knowledge made possible by new media is assisting the fashion industry in meeting the demands of its customers. Improved fashion industry demand forecasting and production planning may result from better internal communication and consumer assessment.