Current Apps Research Articles

User Review-Based Change File Localization for Mobile Applications

In the current mobile app development, novel and emerging DevOps practices (e.g., Continuous Delivery, Integration, and user feedback analysis) and tools are becoming more widespread. For instance, the integration of user feedback (provided in the form of user reviews) in the software release cycle represents a valuable asset for the maintenance and evolution of mobile apps. To fully make use of these assets, it is highly desirable for developers to establish semantic links between the user reviews and the software artefacts to be changed (e.g., source code and documentation), and thus to localize the potential files to change for addressing the user feedback. In this paper, we propose RISING (Review Integration via claSsification, clusterIng, and linkiNG), an automated approach to support the continuous integration of user feedback via classification, clustering, and linking of user reviews. RISING leverages domain-specific constraint information and semi-supervised learning to group user reviews into multiple fine-grained clusters concerning similar users' requests. Then, by combining the textual information from both commit messages and source code, it automatically localizes potential change files to accommodate the users' requests. Our empirical studies demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms the state-of-the-art baseline work in terms of clustering and localization accuracy, and thus produces more reliable results.

Designing Better Exposure Notification Apps: The Role of Persuasive Design.

BackgroundDigital contact tracing apps have been deployed worldwide to limit the spread of COVID-19 during this pandemic and to facilitate the lifting of public health restrictions. However, due to privacy-, trust-, and design-related issues, the apps are yet to be widely adopted. This calls for an intervention to enable a critical mass of users to adopt them.ObjectiveThe aim of this paper is to provide guidelines to design contact tracing apps as persuasive technologies to make them more appealing and effective.MethodsWe identified the limitations of the current contact tracing apps on the market using the Government of Canada’s official exposure notification app (COVID Alert) as a case study. Particularly, we identified three interfaces in the COVID Alert app where the design can be improved. The interfaces include the no exposure status interface, exposure interface, and diagnosis report interface. We propose persuasive technology design guidelines to make them more motivational and effective in eliciting the desired behavior change.ResultsApart from trust and privacy concerns, we identified the minimalist and nonmotivational design of exposure notification apps as the key design-related factors that contribute to the current low uptake. We proposed persuasive strategies such as self-monitoring of daily contacts and exposure time to make the no exposure and exposure interfaces visually appealing and motivational. Moreover, we proposed social learning, praise, and reward to increase the diagnosis report interface’s effectiveness.ConclusionsWe demonstrated that exposure notification apps can be designed as persuasive technologies by incorporating key persuasive features, which have the potential to improve uptake, use, COVID-19 diagnosis reporting, and compliance with social distancing guidelines.

A Smartphone App for Supporting the Self-management of Daytime Urinary Incontinence in Adolescents: Development and Formative Evaluation Study of URApp.

BackgroundDaytime urinary incontinence (UI) is common in childhood and often persists into adolescence. UI in adolescence is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, including depressive symptoms, peer victimization, poor self-image, and problems with peer relationships. The first-line conservative treatment for UI is bladder training (standard urotherapy) that aims to establish a regular fluid intake and a timed schedule for toilet visits. The success of bladder training is strongly dependent on good concordance, which can be challenging for young people.ObjectiveThis paper aims to describe the development of a smartphone app (URApp) that aims to improve concordance with bladder training in young people aged 11 to 19 years.MethodsURApp was designed by using participatory co-design methods and was guided by the person-based approach to intervention design. The core app functions were based on clinical guidance and included setting a daily drinking goal that records fluid intake and toilet visits, setting reminders to drink fluids and go to the toilet, and recording progress toward drinking goals. The development of URApp comprised the following four stages: a review of current smartphone apps for UI, participatory co-design workshops with young people with UI for gathering user requirements and developing wireframes, the development of a URApp prototype, and the user testing of the prototype through qualitative interviews with 23 young people with UI or urgency aged 10 to 19 years and 8 clinicians. The app functions and additional functionalities for supporting concordance and behavior change were iteratively optimized throughout the app development process.ResultsYoung people who tested URApp judged it to be a helpful way of supporting their concordance with a timed schedule for toilet visits and drinking. They reported high levels of acceptability and engagement. Preliminary findings indicated that some young people experienced improvements in their bladder symptoms, including a reduction in UI. Clinicians reported that URApp was clinically appropriate and aligned with the best practice guidelines for bladder training. URApp was deemed age appropriate, with all clinicians reporting that they would use it within their own clinics. Clinicians felt URApp would be of particular benefit to patients whose symptoms were not improving or those who were not engaging with their treatment plans.ConclusionsThe next stage is to evaluate URApp in a range of settings, including pediatric continence clinics, primary care, and schools. This research is needed to test whether URApp is an effective (and cost-effective) solution for improving concordance with bladder training, reducing bladder symptoms, and improving the quality of life.

Analysis of Apps With a Medication List Functionality for Older Adults With Heart Failure Using the Mobile App Rating Scale and the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics Functionality Score: Evaluation Study.

BackgroundManaging the care of older adults with heart failure (HF) largely centers on medication management. Because of frequent medication or dosing changes, an app that supports these older adults in keeping an up-to-date list of medications could be advantageous. During the COVID-19 pandemic, HF outpatient consultations are taking place virtually or by telephone. An app with the capability to share a patient’s medication list with health care professionals before consultation could support clinical efficiency, for example, by reducing consultation time. However, the influence of apps on maintaining an up-to-date medication history for older adults with HF in Ireland remains largely unexplored.ObjectiveThe aims of this review are twofold: to review apps with a medication list functionality and to assess the quality of the apps included in the review using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) and the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics functionality scale.MethodsA systematic search of apps was conducted in June 2019 using the Google Play Store and iTunes App Store. The MARS was used independently by 4 researchers to assess the quality of the apps using an Android phone and an iPad. Apps were also evaluated using the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics functionality score.ResultsGoogle Play and iTunes App store searches identified 483 potential apps (292 from Google Play and 191 from iTunes App stores). A total of 6 apps (3 across both stores) met the inclusion criteria. Of the 6 apps, 4 achieved an acceptable MARS score (3/5). The Medisafe app had the highest overall MARS score (4/5), and the Medication List & Medical Records app had the lowest overall score (2.5/5). On average, the apps had 8 functions based on the IMS functionality criteria (range 5-11). A total of 2 apps achieved the maximum score for number of features (11 features) according to the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics functionality score, and 2 scored the lowest (5 features). Peer-reviewed publications were identified for 3 of the apps.ConclusionsThe quality of current apps with medication list functionality varies according to their technical aspects. Most of the apps reviewed have an acceptable MARS objective quality (ie, the overall quality of an app). However, subjective quality (ie, satisfaction with the apps) was poor. Only 3 apps are based on scientific evidence and have been tested previously. A total of 2 apps featured all the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics functionalities, and half did not provide clear instructions on how to enter medication data, did not display vital parameter data in an easy-to-understand format, and did not guide users on how or when to take their medication.

Codeveloping a multibehavioural mobile phone app to enhance social and emotional well-being and reduce health risks among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women during preconception and pregnancy: a three-phased mixed-methods study

ObjectiveDescribe the development and pretest of a prototype multibehavioural change app MAMA-EMPOWER.DesignMixed-methods study reporting three phases: (1) contextual enquiry included stakeholder engagement and qualitative interviews with Aboriginal women, (2) value...

CrySL: An Extensible Approach to Validating the Correct Usage of Cryptographic APIs

Various studies have empirically shown that the majority of Java and Android applications misuse cryptographic libraries, causing devastating breaches of data security. It is crucial to detect such misuses early in the development process. To detect cryptography misuses, one must <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">define</i> secure uses first, a process mastered primarily by cryptography experts but not by developers. In this paper, we present <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">CrySL</small> , a specification language for bridging the cognitive gap between cryptography experts and developers. <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">CrySL</small> enables cryptography experts to specify the secure usage of the cryptographic libraries they provide. We have implemented a compiler that translates such <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">CrySL</small> specification into a context-sensitive and flow-sensitive demand-driven static analysis. The analysis then helps developers by automatically checking a given Java or Android app for compliance with the <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">CrySL</small> -encoded rules. We have designed an extensive <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">CrySL</small> rule set for the Java Cryptography Architecture (JCA), and empirically evaluated it by analyzing 10,000 current Android apps and all 204,788 current Java software artefacts on Maven Central. Our results show that misuse of cryptographic APIs is still widespread, with 95 percent of apps and 63 percent of Maven artefacts containing at least one misuse. Our easily extensible <sc xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">CrySL</small> rule set covers more violations than previous special-purpose tools that contain hard-coded rules, while still offering a more precise analysis.

Improved Multilevel Regression with Poststratification through Machine Learning (autoMrP)

Multilevel regression with poststratification (MrP) has quickly become the gold standard for small area estimation. While the first MrP models did not include context-level information, current app...

Epic Games v. Apple: Fortnite battle that can change the industry

When Apple Store was launched, there were 500 applications available for iPhone users. Since then, the number of applications in the App Store skyrocketed and in 2017 reached around 2.2 million. In recent years, the number of apps in the App Store is steadily declining, due to Apple’s decision to remove old apps that do not function or the apps that do not follow current app guidelines. The distribution of the apps is only available through the App Store, where the only available payment processor is controlled by Apple. That places Apple in a unique position.The case Epic Games v. Apple raises a broader discussion, whether Apple as the “gatekeeper” of Apps can restrict distribution and access to the apps in the iOS operational system, and whether that kind of activity can be deemed as a monopolist and restrictive competition in App distribution market. This paper will analyze and critically evaluate the recent lawsuit that was brought up against Apple by Epic Games. The main aspect of this analysis is whether Apple can legally restrict the developer’s ability to distribute the applications through the App Store and if it does not restrict the competition. This article is composed of several chapters. Chapter one will examine the relevant facts of the Epic and Apple lawsuit and will summarize the key arguments of this case. The second chapter will explore the relevant legislation and the relevant market related to previously mention proceedings and will explain how the doctrine of the essential facility might affect the case. Chapter three will delve into similar cases brought up earlier and will cover the distribution of digital goods. Chapter four will provide conclusions and the paths moving forward.The object of the paper is to perform a detailed analysis of the case. The purpose of the paper is an assessment of the relevant facts and legal framework regarding Epic’s claim, as well as analyze the topics of foreclosure and dominance in the market. To write this paper several academic writing methods such as descriptive to provide readers with relevant legislation and inform them about relevant facts of the case, also analytical to form the readers’ opinions regarding the recent events and activities of both sides of the suit, also a comparative to compare different legal frameworks in the United States of America and European Union regarding the regulation of monopoly were used. There is no doubt this topic has enormous relevance because of its’ possible after-effects. Epic’s claim already has an impact not only on Apple but also on the whole app development and distribution industry of digital goods and might create a precedent to the similar cases. Currently, this claim is only discussed in the media, and there is no precedent. This article will not give a clear answer to how this lawsuit will be resolved, because it mainly depends on court interpretation of the relevant market. We would rather give a few alternative solutions to this case.

Considerations of diversity, equity, and inclusion in mental health apps: A scoping review of evaluation frameworks

Mental health applications or apps are a promising approach to reduce the pervasive unmet mental health need observed among marginalized groups. However, these groups face unique challenges to engage in and benefit from these interventions, and apps that consider issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) may be better positioned to reach them. App evaluation frameworks emerge as crucial tools for researchers, clinicians, and users to select evidence-based apps. Nevertheless, it is unclear the extent to which existing assessment tools capture DEI factors. The present scoping review identified 68 studies that employed one or more assessment tools to evaluate a mental health app, leading to 44 unique app evaluation frameworks. Results showed that most frameworks were developed after 2015, and only 58% of them considered at least one DEI criterion. Frameworks that performed exceptionally well were those that combined multiple standardized and validated measures. This lack of consideration for DEI variables may limit the ability of app-based interventions to serve marginalized communities, or even worse, create new disparities. Therefore, we provide recommendations to improve current app evaluation frameworks' cultural robustness and clinical utility, maximizing their effectiveness when working with individuals from marginalized communities.

Availability, content and quality of commercially available smartphone applications for the self-management of low back pain: a systematic assessment

Purpose Explore smartphone apps that may be recommended by clinicians for the self-management of low back pain. Methods Prospectively registered systematic assessment of self-contained apps for self-management of low back pain on the Google Play and Apple App stores (Oceania), including ≥1 NICE low back pain and sciatica clinical guideline-recommended component and functioning without health professional input. Outcomes were quality (Mobile App Rating Scale; MARS), and self-management (Self-Management Support Checklist; SMS-14) and behaviour change potential (App Behaviour Change Scale; ABACUS). Results 25 apps were included. The average quality of included apps was acceptable (Mean MARS score of 3.9 out of a maximum possible 5). The self-management support and behaviour change potential of included apps appeared low (mean SMS-14 score was 3.4/14; mean ABACUS score was 5.4/21). The apps showed no significant correlation between app consumer ratings and MARS scores. App quality was significantly correlated with app price (p = 0.049) but not consumer ratings, however, these findings were based on a small number of studies and the overall model was not significant. Conclusions Smartphone apps for the self-management of low back pain are of average to good quality, with questionable potential for self-management and behaviour change. Clinicians should consider that few apps were designed to specifically incorporate self-management support and behaviour change potential when recommending apps to clients. Further development in these areas of app design would be of benefit. Implications for Rehabilitation Smartphone apps have the potential to improve LBP self-management outcomes, however, apps are not well regulated and the quality of information and advice provided is often low quality. The findings from this systematic assessment indicate that LBP self-management apps have limited self-management support and behaviour change potential features. Recommendation of current smartphone apps for LBP should take into consideration that although apps are of acceptable quality they are not specifically designed with self-management support and behaviour change principles. App quality does not appear to be associated with consumer ratings, however, there may be a positive association between app price and quality which requires further investigation.

Identifying Phonological Barriers in Korean-Accented English Using Artificial Intelligence Apps

Foreseeing the future of English education, this study has incorporated artificial intelligence voice assistant mobile phone applications (AI apps) into English Language Teaching. The study explored: (1) to what extent the current AI apps can dictate Korean-accented English (KoE), and (2) the phonological elements that are commonly misrecognized by the current AI apps. To accomplish these goals, 108 Korean undergraduates, whose English proficiency levels were on average B2 (upper-intermediate level) according to the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR), participated in the study. Each participant read twenty-five sentences aloud, while AI apps produced transcripts of their dictation. Then the percentage of correctly recognized target words was calculated to determine speech intelligibility. The findings show that KoE attained an accuracy rate of 56.8 percent on average, ranging from 50.1 to 62.7 percent. The KoE barriers associated with the phonological features of less intelligible tokens were also investigated. By bringing attention to the features in comparison to the Lingua Franca Core targets (Jenkins, 2000), the findings suggest the necessity of further research into the feasibility of implementing AI apps within teaching practices, and expanding the boundaries of English as a lingua franca research to KoE, which has not been sufficiently studied.

The Contribution of Mobile Apps to the Improvement of Walking/Cycling Behavior Considering the Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic

More than one hundred and fifty cities around the world have expanded their emergency cycling and walking infrastructures to increase their resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the role of mobile apps is prominent in respect to developing a smart city during this pandemic, which raises the questions of how mobile apps contribute to the improvement of walking/cycling behavior and how such a relationship is influenced by the situation imposed by COVID-19. The role of mobile apps in the three relevant fields of physical activity, transport, and urban planning are reviewed. Next, the associations between walking/cycling behaviors and their contributing factors and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on these relationships are reviewed. Studies on physical activity have emphasized the role of motivational social factors in improving the function of mobile apps. In regard to transport, mobile apps have the potential to facilitate data collection in macroscale environments. In addition, mobile apps may facilitate people’s recognition of positive/negative environmental aspects, and this may in turn lead to greater pedestrian/cyclists’ awareness and better organization of their walking/cycling behavior. Moreover, based on a participatory approach, the classification of current mobile apps and certain suggestions on the development of future mobile apps are presented. Finally, complementary suggestions are provided for maintaining and improving the use of mobile apps to improve the level of walking/cycling.

Pengaruh Point Vuforia Object Scanner Terhadap Karakteristik 3D Object untuk Menampilkan Informasi Berbasis Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) applications are one of the current mobile app trends. Its ability to display information as if to make the user merge with the information provided. The specialty of the application is in the marker. One marker that is in great demand is known as markerless, such as 3D Object Tracking. In making this 3D Object-based AR application, one must pass a stage where a real object is taken at points or known as points to be used as markers. The application used at this stage of making markers is known as the vuforia object scanner. From the experience of making AR applications, it was found conditions where markers with a large number of points were not able to display information properly, a small number of points were able to display information well and sometimes the two conditions were opposite or comparable, i.e. a lot of points makes a good marker and a few points make a bad marker. This inconsistent condition becomes a problem in this study. The test results show that the points do not affect the marker's ability to display information, but are influenced by the characteristics of the object used as the marker. Tests conducted on randomly selected objects resulted in 2 parameters to be tested in this study, namely the texture and pattern of the object. Markers with good quality to be used as markers for 3D objects are markers with a hard texture, with a detection angle of 90° and 135° and with a regular pattern

Theory-Based Social and Non-Social Engagement Features in Smoking Cessation Mobile Apps: A Content Analysis

Despite the ubiquity of smartphone ownership and the increasing integration of social engagement features in smoking cessation apps to engage users, the social and non-social engagement features that are present in current smoking cessation apps and the effectiveness of these features in engaging users remain understudied. To fill the gap in the literature, a content analysis of free and paid smoking cessation mobile apps was conducted to examine (a) the presence of social features (i.e., social support, social announcement, and social referencing) and non-social engagement features (e.g., personal environmental changes, goal setting, progress tracking, reinforcement tracking, self-monitoring, and personalized recommendations) and (b) their relationships with user engagement scores measured by the Mobile App Rating Scale. In this study, 28.2% of the smoking cessation apps enable social announcement and 8.1% offered the social support feature. Only two apps provided a social referencing feature (1.3%). No app included reinforcement tracking, with the percentage of other non-social engagement features ranging from 9.4% to 49.0%. Social support (β = 0.30, p < 0.001), social announcement (β = 0.21, p < 0.05), and social referencing (β = 0.18, p < 0.05) were significant predictors of user engagement. Regarding the non-social engagement features, personal environment changes (β = 0.38, p < 0.001), progress tracking (β = 0.18, p < 0.05), and personalized recommendations (β = 0.37, p < 0.001) significantly predicted user engagement. The findings not only contribute to the mobile communication literature by applying and extending the theory-based mobile health apps engagement typology, but also inform the future architecture design of smoking cessation mobile apps.

A survey of COVID-19 contact-tracing apps

Recently, the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 virus caused a major health crisis by affecting masses around the world. The virus, which is known to be highly contagious, has forced the research community and governments to fight the disease and take prompt actions by applying various strategies to keep the numbers under control. These strategies range from imposing strict social distancing measures, isolating infected cases, and enforcing either a partial or a full lockdown, to mathematical modeling and contact-tracing applications. In this work, we survey the current contact-tracing apps and organize them based on underlying technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, geofencing, and Quick Response (QR) codes. We compare the main features of 22 existing applications and highlight each of the pros and cons associated with these different technologies.

A user's view of commercial mobile applications designed to measure hand hygiene compliance by direct observation

Mobile applications (apps) that facilitate the measurement of hand hygiene (HH) compliance rates by direct observation (DO) are widely available. Their usefulness for infection prevention and control (IPC) professionals has neither been recently reviewed nor formally assessed. To present a critical analysis of hand hygiene measurement apps. Mobile apps were identified from four sources: PubMed, Apple app store, Google Play app store, Google search engine. Individual apps were then evaluated against a novel scoring system using seven key criteria considered relevant for IPC professionals. These included availability, price, automated data analysis, training requirement, compliance measured against the World Health Organization (WHO) 5 moments of HH, recent updates, and average app store rating. For each criterion, possible scores ranged from zero to two, with a maximum available score of 14 per app. A total of 32 apps were identified of which 13 were suitable for analysis. Only three apps (19%) scored ≥12. Twelve apps (92%) allowed compliance to be measured against the WHO 5 moments of HH. Five apps (38%) were completely free to use, seven apps (54%) allowed for automatic analysis and reporting of HH data and only six apps (46%) had high app store ratings. The current mobile apps available for DO of HH generally scored poorly. In order to make these apps more useful to IPC professionals, they should be user-friendly and require less training prior to use. National IPC organizations should develop core standards for these apps to guide future development.

Learnings from the design and acceptance of the German COVID-19 tracing app for IS-driven crisis management: a design science research

BackgroundThis article investigates the research problem of digital solutions to overcome the pandemic, more closely examining the limited effectiveness and scope of the governmental COVID-19 tracing apps, using the German COVID-19 tracing app (Corona-Warn-App) as an example. A well-designed and effective instrument in the technological toolbox is of utmost importance to overcome the pandemic.MethodA multi-methodological design science research approach was applied. In three development and evaluation cycles, we presented, prototyped, and tested user-centered ideas of functional and design improvement. The applied procedure contains (1) a survey featuring 1993 participants from Germany for evaluating the current app, (2) a gathering of recommendations from epidemiologists and from a focus group discussion with IT and health experts identifying relevant functional requirements, and (3) an online survey combined with testing our prototype with 53 participants to evaluate the enhanced tracing app.ResultsThis contribution presents 14 identified issues of the German COVID-19 tracing app, six meta-requirements, and three design principles for COVID-19 tracing apps and future pandemic apps (e.g., more user involvement and transparency). Using an interactive prototype, this study presents an extended pandemic app, containing 13 potential front-end (i.e., information on the regional infection situation, education and health literacy, crowd and event notification) and six potential back-end functional requirements (i.e., ongoing modification of risk score calculation, indoor versus outdoor). In addition, a user story approach for the COVID-19 tracing app was derived from the findings, supporting a holistic development approach.ConclusionThroughout this study, practical relevant findings can be directly transferred to the German and other international COVID-19 tracing applications. Moreover, we apply our findings to crisis management theory—particularly pandemic-related apps—and derive interdisciplinary learnings. It might be recommendable for the involved decision-makers and stakeholders to forego classic application management and switch to using an agile setup, which allows for a more flexible reaction to upcoming changes. It is even more important for governments to have a well-established, flexible, design-oriented process for creating and adapting technology to handle a crisis, as this pandemic will not be the last one.

Mobile App (WHEELS) to Promote a Healthy Lifestyle in Wheelchair Users With Spinal Cord Injury or Lower Limb Amputation: Usability and Feasibility Study.

BackgroundMaintaining a healthy lifestyle is important for wheelchair users’ well-being, as it can have a major impact on their daily functioning. Mobile health (mHealth) apps can support a healthy lifestyle; however, these apps are not necessarily suitable for wheelchair users with spinal cord injury or lower limb amputation. Therefore, a new mHealth app (WHEELS) was developed to promote a healthy lifestyle for this population.ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to develop the WHEELS mHealth app, and explore its usability, feasibility, and effectiveness.MethodsThe WHEELS app was developed using the intervention mapping framework. Intervention goals were determined based on a needs assessment, after which behavior change strategies were selected to achieve these goals. These were applied in an app that was pretested on ease of use and satisfaction, followed by minor adjustments. Subsequently, a 12-week pre-post pilot study was performed to explore usability, feasibility, and effectiveness of the app. Participants received either a remote-guided or stand-alone intervention. Responses to semistructured interviews were analyzed using content analysis, and questionnaires (System Usability Score [SUS], and Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease) were administered to investigate usability and feasibility. Effectiveness was determined by measuring outcomes on physical activity, nutrition, sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), body composition, and other secondary outcomes pre and post intervention, and by calculating effect sizes (Hedges g).ResultsSixteen behavior change strategies were built into an app to change the physical activity, dietary, sleep, and relaxation behaviors of wheelchair users. Of the 21 participants included in the pilot study, 14 participants completed the study. The interviews and questionnaires showed a varied user experience. Participants scored a mean of 58.6 (SD 25.2) on the SUS questionnaire, 5.4 (SD 3.1) on ease of use, 5.2 (SD 3.1) on satisfaction, and 5.9 (3.7) on ease of learning. Positive developments in body composition were found on waist circumference (P=.02, g=0.76), fat mass percentage (P=.004, g=0.97), and fat-free mass percentage (P=.004, g=0.97). Positive trends were found in body mass (P=.09, g=0.49), BMI (P=.07, g=0.53), daily grams of fat consumed (P=.07, g=0.56), and sleep quality score (P=.06, g=0.57).ConclusionsThe WHEELS mHealth app was successfully developed. The interview outcomes and usability scores are reasonable. Although there is room for improvement, the current app showed promising results and seems feasible to deploy on a larger scale.

Quality of a Supporting Mobile App for Rheumatic Patients: Patient-Based Assessment Using the User Version of the Mobile Application Scale (uMARS).

Introduction: Mobile applications promise to improve current health care. However, current mobile app quality ratings are mostly physician-based. The aim of this study was (1) to assess the quality of the self-management app Rheuma Auszeit using the validated uMARS (User Version of the Mobile App Rating Scale) app quality assessment tool and (2) to evaluate the association between uMARS scores and patients' characteristics.Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis were seen at the rheumatology clinic at university hospital Erlangen, Germany. They were asked to test Rheuma Auszeit, evaluate its quality using uMARS and complete a paper-based survey evaluating the individual preferences, attitudes and ehealth literacy. The association between uMARS scores and patients' characteristics was further explored.Results: Between December 2018 and January 2019, a total of 126 patients evaluated Rheuma Auszeit using uMARS and filled out the paper-based survey. The median uMARS score was 3.9, IQR 0.7. Functionality was the domain with the highest rating (median 4.8, IQR 0.8), followed by aesthetics (median 4.0, IQR 0.7), information (median 3.5, IQR 0.8), and engagement (median 3.2, IQR 1.0). Subjective quality was average (median 3.0, IQR 1.0). The lowest scoring individual item was customization with a median of 2.5/5. Lower functionality scores were reported among older female rheumatic patients (P < 0.004). Older male rheumatic patients reported a higher subjective quality score (P < 0.024). Perceived disease activity and disease duration did not significantly correlate with any uMARS subdomain scores. eHealth literacy significantly correlated with functionality uMARS subdomain ratings (Rho = 0.18; P < 0.042). Preferred time of app usage significantly correlated with engagement (Rho = 0.20; P < 0.024), functionality (Rho = 0.19; P < 0.029), total uMARS score (Rho = 0.21; P < 0.017) and subjective quality score (Rho = 0.21; P < 0.017). The vast majority of rheumatic patients would consider recommending Rheuma Auszeit to other patients (117/126; 92.9%).Conclusion: Rheuma Auszeit was well-accepted by German patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondyloarthritis. Lacking customization could lead to low app compliance and should be improved. Lower functionality scores among older female rheumatic patients highlight the need for patient education. The study underlines the potential and feasibility of therapeutic complementary digital solutions in rheumatology.

Flirting and Friendship at the Periphery of Hook-up App Research

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; The everyday intimacies of friendship and flirting are not typically exploredin hook-up app research, nor is there much reflection on the intimacies of researching these media. This paper considers flirting and friendship as practices and methods that broaden the scope of current hook-up app research. We ask what these intimacies can produce to expand research approaches (and thus knowledge) of hook-up apps. As users and researchers of these apps, we consider negotiations of flirting and friendship between researchers and research partici- pants by exploring what it means to research with intimacy. Attention is given to the connections, conversations, and intimate encounters within hook-up research that are mostly absent from existing presentations of research findings. We sug- gest that greater attention to peripheral and intimate communication between researchers and participants can offer valuable methods for queering otherwise stabilised ways of knowing, using, and researching these platforms. Adding to the queer ethnographic tradition, we demonstrate how a processual and affective approach to hook-up app use encourages researchers to make visible our connec- tions to the media we research, and how these connections relate to the intima- cies that hook-up apps foster.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;