Older adults are expected to account for 16.7% of the world population by 2050. Mobile health applications (apps) have emerged as important tools for the self-management of care and health promotion in this population group. This scoping review mapped, classified, and assessed the mobile health apps designed for older adults that are available in Brazil. The review followed the methodological recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis and was reported according to the PRISMA scoping review guidelines. The guiding research question was: What mobile health technologies targeting older adults are available in Brazil, and what is their quality according to standardized evaluation criteria? The study was structured using the population-concept-context framework (population: older adults; concept: mobile health apps for disease prevention, self-management, and health promotion; context: the Brazilian iOS App Store [Apple] and Google Play [Android]). Two independent reviewers systematically searched for eligible mobile health apps in July 2021. App quality was assessed using the Mobile App Rating Scale. Of the 4,122 screened apps, 28 met the inclusion criteria. The mean (SD) Mobile App Rating Scale quality scores were 3.3 (0.7) for Android and 3.2 (0.7) for Apple. Although most apps showed adequate functionality and design, they performed poorly in credibility and evidence-based content. This scoping review highlights the need for interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, clinicians, developers, and older users to enhance the quality and reliability of mobile health tools tailored to this population.

ABSTRACT This article develops a normative framework for interpreting the Fair, Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) platform-access obligation in Article 6(12) of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), with Apple’s iOS App Store as the central case study. Whereas the DMA couples contestability and fairness, EU enforcement has focused almost exclusively on contestability while avoiding the more difficult question of what constitutes a fair access fee. Yet, due to network effects and developer lock-in, effective contestability may not materialize, compelling the European Commission to confront the substantive fairness of app-store commissions. Drawing on FRAND principles in standard essential patents, EU competition law, and telecoms regulation, the article shows that none of these frameworks can be transposed directly to digital ecosystems characterized by intangible assets and reciprocal value creation. It argues instead for a principles-based approach built around four propositions: gatekeepers should not be remunerated for network-effect rents; FRAND must reflect the reciprocal value that developers generate for the ecosystem; access pricing should account for the net exchange of value between platform and developer; and fees should reflect Long-Run Average Incremental Costs. Implemented together, these principles offer a coherent method for operationalizing fairness under Article 6(12) and rebalancing value capture in digital markets.

In this paper we systematically survey emergent religious and spiritual (R/S) AI chatbot applications and outline our plans to conduct application walkthroughs to collect and analyze developer discourses. Our research asks: 1) How is authority, through trust and/or faith, discursively constructed around R/S chatbots? 2) How do developers synthesize Silicon Valley worldviews with existent R/S beliefs within the discursive construction of their applications? We sought to answer these questions by first conducting a systematic survey of existing R/S AI integrated applications on DuckDuckGo, iOS App Store, and Google Play Store. Through this we found that applications were framed in three primary ways by their creators as assistants, tools to be used, avatars, mentors embodying a particular R/S figure, and/or angels, beings with access to higher knowledge. These framings will inevitably shape how these tools are received and interpreted by their users, influencing the perceived R/S authority of an AI chatbot. Future work will conduct walkthroughs of a selection of applications from each data collection site. This will generate richer data detailing the material and discursive elements of R/S chatbots to be analyzed through discourse analysis. Our work will highlight how developers frame their creations and explore the potential complications that emerge when blending R/S belief and technological practice. We contribute to existing work on the intersection of R/S and technology and push the field forward by examining the under-explored and emergent development of AI integration into R/S practices.

BackgroundThere is a need for a user-led, evidence-based digital application (app.) that meets the identified information and support needs and preferences of young people and young adults aged 12–35 years (YP/YA) with Nephrotic Syndrome (NS) in the United Kingdom (UK). The password protected novel Nephrotic Syndrome Trust (NeST) app was therefore co-designed with YP/YA with NS to empower them to: access news of NS related events, take more control of their treatment and feel confident in sharing and accessing their data. The app allows YP/YA with NS to record regular urine dipstick readings, blood pressure, weight, temperature, medications, immunisations, symptoms (e.g. swollen feet), relapse or remission episodes, and the name of their renal unit. Additional features include an appointment diary to record feedback from their renal multidisciplinary team, treatment information and hospital admission episodes. The software was approved for release on iOS & Android app stores and the NHS Digital verification programme, meaning that users can be identified against their NHS records. The aim of the survey was to evaluate the NeST App from the perspective of YP/YA with NS.MethodsThrough a consultative process, an online survey involving a combination of closed and open-ended questions was created and circulated via social media and email to target users of the app.ResultsTwenty YP/YA with NS aged 12 years and older tested the app, completed the survey and provided quantitative and qualitative data. All found this app helpful, and easy to use and all would use it in future as part of standard practice.ConclusionsThese data provide important feedback and suggestions for further app refinement and will integrate it with current national data collection via the UK Renal Registry (UKRR). To build on this collaborative project the developers will continue to collaborate with patients and health care professionals to ensure the app is a continually evolving and relevant resource, providing a voice for those living with NS. The app technology could potentially be rebooted and relaunched at minimal cost to support patients with other kidney conditions.Clinical trial numberNot applicable.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12882-025-04684-1.

Cancer is a complex disease affecting various organs and is a major cause of death worldwide. During cancer initiation, disease progression, and tumor metastasis, various genomic and proteomic alterations are observed. Recent technological advances have led to the generation of large amounts of molecular data, including genomics and transcriptomics. These large-scale datasets can be utilized to analyze and identify sub-class-specific cancer biomarkers and targets. However, there is a need for the development of user-friendly tools for large-scale data analysis, disseminating the analyzed data in a visualizable format to cancer researchers with no programming skills. We developed UALCAN, a comprehensive platform that allows users to integrate disparate data to better understand the genes, proteins, and pathways perturbed in cancer and make discoveries of potential biomarkers and targets. In the current study, we describe the development of the UALCAN Mobile application (app) that will provide cancer transcriptomic data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project to evaluate protein-coding gene expression based on various stratifications, including stage, grade, race, gender, and molecular-subtypes across over 30 types of cancers. In addition, the UALCAN mobile provides data analysis options for epigenetic changes due to DNA promoter methylation and Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) cancer proteomic data. The app provides access to large cancer molecular datasets on the go. To find changes in the expression of causative genes and proteins and to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets, UALCAN mobile app will be extremely valuable. The “UALCAN Mobile” app is free to use and can be downloaded from both the iOS/Apple and the Android Play Store and has been downloaded over 100 times in each of iOS and Android App stores.

Cancer is a complex disease affecting various organs and is a major cause of death worldwide. During cancer initiation, disease progression, and tumor metastasis, various genomic and proteomic alterations are observed. Recent technological advances have led to the generation of large amounts of molecular data, including genomics and transcriptomics. These large-scale datasets can be utilized to analyze and identify sub-class-specific cancer biomarkers and targets. However, there is a need for the development of user-friendly tools for large-scale data analysis, disseminating the analyzed data in a visualizable format to cancer researchers with no programming skills. We developed UALCAN, a comprehensive platform that allows users to integrate disparate data to better understand the genes, proteins, and pathways perturbed in cancer and make discoveries of potential biomarkers and targets. In the current study, we describe the development of the UALCAN Mobile application (app) that will provide cancer transcriptomic data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project to evaluate protein-coding gene expression based on various stratifications, including stage, grade, race, gender, and molecular-subtypes across over 30 types of cancers. In addition, the UALCAN mobile provides data analysis options for epigenetic changes due to DNA promoter methylation and Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) cancer proteomic data. The app provides access to large cancer molecular datasets on the go. To find changes in the expression of causative genes and proteins and to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets, UALCAN mobile app will be extremely valuable. The “UALCAN Mobile” app is free to use and can be downloaded from both the iOS/Apple and the Android Play Store and has been downloaded over 100 times in each of iOS and android app stores.

Palliative and hospice care, traditionally provided in hospitals, are expanding into homes and communities with an increase in the elderly population and number of patients with chronic diseases. Despite the development of various mobile applications, the characteristics and relevance of these technologies in community settings have been insufficiently analyzed, resulting in a lack of clarity regarding their effectiveness. This systematic scoping review aimed to analyze and categorize the characteristic features of mobile applications for palliative and hospice care, and propose key attributes that should be included in community setting based applications. Sixty-six mobile applications for palliative and hospice care were included through mobile platforms (Google Play and the iOS Appstore). Of the total number of palliative and hospice care applications, 44 were intended for use by clinicians and 14 by patients and informal caregivers, respectively The application features can be categorized into eight themes: 1) information and procedures for palliative care and hospice facilities, 2) visiting management, 3) medical record management and documentation, 4) palliative and hospice care guidance and education, 5) care planning management, 6) communication and notification systems, 7) administrative services for facilities, and 8) data management. Determining whether the current applications are clinically effective is challenging. Future palliative care˚uhospice applications should integrate existing disparate functions to provide users with a one-stop solution for palliative and hospice care-related services and allow for care beyond the in-hospital setting, thus providing patients with more end-of-life care options.

BackgroundMental health is an essential element of life. However, existing mental health services face challenges in utilization due to issues such as societal prejudices and a shortage of counselors. Mobile health is gaining attention as an alternative approach to improving mental health by addressing the shortcomings of traditional services. As a result, various mental health apps are being developed, but there is a lack of evaluation research on whether these apps meet users’ needs.ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the content and quality of mental health apps from the user’s perspective and identify the content features that influence evaluation scores. We also aim to guide future updates and improvements in mental health apps to deliver high-quality solutions to users.MethodsWe searched the Google Play Store and iOS App Store using Korean keywords “mental health,” “mental health care,” “depression,” and “stress.” Apps meeting the following criteria were selected for the study: relevance to the topic, written in Korean, more than 700 reviews (Android) or more than 200 reviews (iOS), updated within the past 365 days, available for free, nonduplicate, and currently operational. After identifying and defining the primary contents of the apps, 7 users evaluated their quality using the user version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS). Correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationships among app content, uMARS scores, star ratings, and the number of reviews. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors influencing uMARS scores and each evaluation item.ResultsThe analysis included a total of 41 mental health apps. Content analysis revealed that reminders (n=29, 71%), recording and statistics features (n=29, 71%), and diaries (n=24, 59%) were the most common app components. The top-rated apps, as determined by uMARS evaluations, consistently provided information about counselors and counseling agencies, and included counseling services. uMARS scores were significantly correlated with the presence of health care provider information (r=0.53; P<.001) and counseling/question and answer services (r=0.55; P<.001). Multiple regression analysis indicated that providing more relevant information was associated with higher uMARS scores (β=.361; P=.02).ConclusionsThe quality of mental health apps was evaluated from the user’s perspective using a validated scale. To deliver a high-quality mental health app, it is essential to incorporate app technologies such as generative artificial intelligence during development and to continuously monitor app quality from the user’s perspective.

Past studies have suggested that online reviews positively impact app innovation. However, extant research has not yet explored the distinct impacts of online negative and positive reviews on app innovation. Based on signaling theory and negative bias, this study empirically examines the effects of online negative reviews versus online positive reviews on app innovation by using panel data from the iOS App Store in China. The findings demonstrate that online negative reviews have a more positive influence on app innovation than online positive reviews. Additionally, compared with online positive reviews, app performance more effectively weakens the promoting effect of online negative reviews on app innovation. Moreover, both app history and platform owner's entry play a positive moderating role in the impact of online negative reviews on app innovation, while no positive moderating effect is observed in the impact of online positive reviews on app innovation. These results demonstrate the different effects of online negative reviews and online positive reviews on app innovation, expand the contingent value of online reviews and app innovation.

BackgroundWeb-based pharmacy apps facilitate the electronic exchange of health-related supplies. They are digital platforms that run on websites and smartphones. Pakistan is experiencing significant progress in smartphone integration and digital services, leading to the expansion of the online pharmacy business. However, concerns remain over the legitimacy and precision of these apps.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to undertake a thorough assessment of digital pharmacy apps accessible in Pakistan. Specifically, our focus was on apps accessible via the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store. To fulfill this objective, an evaluation of these apps was performed using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS).MethodsA research investigation was conducted to analyze the online pharmacy apps in Pakistan. Initially, 50 apps were identified, but 10 were excluded for not meeting pre-established criteria, 10 were excluded for being in languages other than English, and 7 could not be downloaded. All paid and non-English apps were also excluded. A total of 23 apps were selected for the study, acquired via the Google Play Store and iOS App Store. The evaluation was conducted by 2 researchers who maintained independence from one another by using the MARS.ResultsInitially, 50 apps were identified, of which 27 were excluded for not meeting the predetermined criteria. A total of 23 apps were selected for the study, acquired via the Google Play Store and iOS App Store. Strong positive correlations between higher user engagement and better app functionality and information quality were observed. The average rating of the 23 apps ranged between 2.64 and 4.00 on a scale up to 5. The aesthetics dimension had the highest mean score of 3.6, while the information dimension had the lowest mean score of 3.2. For credibility and reliability, different tests (intraclass correlation, Cohen κ, Krippendorff α, and Cronbach α) on each dimension of the MARS were performed by using SPSS Statistics 27. The intraclass correlation of all MARS dimensions ranged from 0.702‐0.913 (95% CI 0.521‐0.943), the Cohen κ of all MARS dimensions ranged from 0.388‐0.907 (95% CI 0.151‐0.994), the Krippendorff α of all MARS dimensions ranged from 0.705‐0.979 (95% CI 0.657‐0.923), and Cronbach α had a lower score of 0.821 in the information dimension and a higher score of .911 in the subjective quality dimension of the MARS.ConclusionThis study evaluated online pharmacy apps in Pakistan by using the MARS. It is the first study on online pharmacy apps in Pakistan. The findings of the evaluation have provided insights into the reliability and efficacy of these apps.

Background: Electronic health (e-health) technologies, including mobile apps, encourage patient engagement and empowerment in patients’ clinical journeys and facilitate self-management. THe commercialization of irritable bowel syndrome-focused (IBS) mobile apps proliferated in recent years, offering IBS patients a myriad of options in incorporating e-health technology and self-management strategies to alleviate symptoms. As IBS is complicated by the lack of known etiologies and their systemic and downstream effects, mobile apps could be an invaluable tool for patients in navigating varying strategies and developing a tailored and personalized management plan. However, there is limited research on understanding and evaluating e-health tools and their perceived utility and value by patients. Objective: To identify and evaluate digital interventions designed for self-management of IBS-related symptoms, and to explore IBS patients’ experiences using these tools to manage or reduce their symptoms. Methods: 1) A systematic review of the literature was conducted using Medline (Ovid), Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL. Results from the search strategy were retrieved between database inception and May 2023. Data from the study designs, intervention, and associated effectiveness and feasibility outcomes were extracted. 2) A scoping review of commercially available IBS mobile e-health apps is currently underway. Eligible apps will be collated from the iOS App Store and the Android Google Play Store to evaluate their features and functions, areas of focus, and financial burden. 3) Qualitative focus groups will be conducted with adult IBS patients in Canada who are currently using or have previously used a mobile app to manage their IBS symptoms. Data will be coded and assessed using inductive thematic analysis, and descriptive statistics will be utilized to evaluate demographic variables. Focus groups are expected to commence in January 2024. Results: The implemented search strategy for the systematic review yielded 1164 records, of which 11 were eligible and included. Eight studies developed the intervention, and three assessed existing interventions accessible to the public; most were developed for the mobile platform. Intervention features were focused on education, dietary modification, psychological-based therapies and programs, and health tracking and were largely self-directed. The interventions effectively reduced symptom severity and improved quality of life and mental health, while demonstrating feasibility in the form of adherence, compliance, and usability. More in-depth analysis and results for the scoping review and focus groups will be presented. Conclusion: The evidence suggests e-health interventions may be beneficial tools for patients to manage their IBS. However, despite the influx and saturated market of commercialized apps, their effectiveness is yet to be determined. Thus, additional research is warranted for continued digital intervention assessments in this population to help inform researchers and developers in advancing the quality and accessibility of current and future e-health resources for the IBS community. Furthermore, the evaluation of the mobile apps from the systematic and scoping reviews will support the development of a web-based platform to compile detailed information and user feedback of IBS-focused mobile apps to enable patients to efficiently and effectively find the most suitable apps to support their unique needs and circumstances.

Characterizing the app recommendation relationships in the iOS app store: a complex network’s perspective

Abstract. In 2020, Apple started to include a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensor on its high-end mobile devices. Since the introduction of the sensor, a large number of apps exploiting it have populated the iOS App Store. Therefore, Apple devices with a LiDAR sensor have seen increasing applications for efficient, low-cost spatial analysis and 3D modeling of small objects, rooms, and small areas. In this context, it becomes interesting to understand the potential of this sensor exploited by existing apps for surveying not only small areas, but also medium-sized indoor and outdoor areas. The study here presented evaluates the effectiveness of five iOS LiDAR-based apps for surveying medium-sized indoor and outdoor environments using Apple devices. The research used two test areas—a university building corridor (indoor) and a narrow urban street (outdoor)—to examine the performance of each app against a reference dataset from a Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS). The study explores each app’s capabilities, considering settings, point cloud density, accuracy, and usability across two survey path strategies: a closed loop and a zigzag. Results highlight that while mobile LiDAR apps on Apple devices facilitate low-cost, fast, accessible surveys, they exhibit in some areas errors on the order of 10 centimeters, while in others, on the order of 1 centimeter. The final result was very much influenced by how the raw data was handled by the apps, and it was noted that for medium-sized areas (both indoor and outdoor) the apps that produced better results were the ones benefitting from loop-closure to reduce trajectory drift. Based on the results, this approach could support urban management, road assessments, and other applications where rapid data capture is required and medium accuracy is sufficient.

To assess the efficacy of a "teledentistry" method using a mobile app (Telesmile) in enhancing knowledge of oral health conditions and oral hygiene practices among the blind and deaf populations in Jazan Province in Saudi Arabia. A randomized parallel design controlled study was conducted among 50 blind and 50 deaf subjects between the ages of 12-18 years, randomly chosen from blind and deaf schools. The participants were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. An innovative teledentistry platform named Telesmile, a mobile application for the Apple iOS App Store and Google Play Store, was developed. Multimedia Arabic dental sign language oral hygiene instructional videos were created and uploaded in the Telesmile mobile application under the deaf category. Similarly, oral hygiene instructions were audio recorded by experts and uploaded under the blind category in the Telesmile mobile application. Group I of the blind (n = 25) and deaf participants (n = 25) received regular oral hygiene instructions while Group II of the blind (n = 25) and deaf (n = 25) participants received the Telesmile mobile application intervention. The knowledge of the participants pertaining to oral health and oral hygiene practices was evaluated using a close-ended questionnaire comprising 14 questions at the initial visit (T0). Training sessions were conducted for all participants and the Telesmile mobile application was distributed among the participants in Group II. After 4 weeks (T1), the knowledge of the participants regarding oral health and hygiene practice was re-evaluated and compared between each group. The chi-square test revealed that the marginal mean of the knowledge of the blind and deaf participants pertaining to oral health and oral hygiene practices was very poor at their initial visit (T0) and it significantly increased (p < 0.001) after 4 weeks (T1) of using the Telesmile mobile application. The Telesmile mobile application can significantly enhance oral hygiene knowledge among blind and deaf people. The audio technique was an effective tool to deliver oral health education which could result in improving the oral health status of blind participants. The video demonstrations were also effective in enhancing the oral health and oral hygiene knowledge of deaf individuals.

ABSTRACT This research explored the human-machine user/consumer experience when customers use fashion retail mobile applications under the omnichannel context, aiming to identify key themes and varying customer values from customer reviews of different tiers of fashion mobile apps. 5,000 customer reviews about ten department store mobile apps were crawled from the iOS App Store in June 2021. Using text-mining methods, including Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling, sentiment classification, and word co-occurrence network, this research reveals predominant topics/themes in mobile app reviews that reflect consumer perceptions of human-machine experience and omnichannel shopping experience. These insights underscore the critical role of human-machine user experience in the success of omnichannel strategies and identified the four important instrumental qualities in fashion mobile app user experience, which are ease of use, usability, fluency, and personalization. The findings also shed light on customers’ expectations and perceived value concerning different types of fashion omnichannel retailers.

BackgroundPulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic and complex condition, requiring consistent management and education. The widespread use of smartphones has opened possibilities for mobile health apps to support both patients and health care professionals in monitoring and managing PH more effectively.ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify and assess the quality of free smartphone apps for PH targeted at either patients or health care professionals.MethodsA systematic search was conducted on freely available apps for patients with PH and health care professionals, accessed from a Spanish IP address, on Android (Google Play) and iOS (App Store) platforms. Searches were performed in October 2022 and 2023. Apps were independently analyzed by two reviewers, focusing on general characteristics. Quality assessment was based on the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) framework, and Mann-Whitney U tests compared mean MARS scores against specific variables.ResultsIn the overall study, 21 apps were identified. In the 2022 search, 19 apps were listed (9 iOS, 7 Android, 3 available on both platforms). In the subsequent 2023 search, 16 apps were identified (6 Android, 7 iOS, 3 available on both platforms). Of those identified in 2022, 14 remained available in 2023, with only 7 updated since 2022. In addition, 12 apps targeted patients or the general population, while 9 targeted health care professionals; none involved patients in the development or design. Conversely, 13 apps involving health care professionals were identified. There were 10 apps that received pharmaceutical industry funding. The primary goal for 81% (17/21) of the apps was to disseminate general information about PH. The overall mean MARS quality was acceptable in 2022 and 2023, with mean ratings of 3.1 (SD 0.6) and 3.3 (SD 0.5), respectively. The functionality category achieved the highest scores in both years, indicating ease of use and intuitive navigation. In contrast, the subjective quality domain consistently received the lowest ratings in the MARS assessment across both years. None of the apps underwent clinical testing themselves; however, 2 incorporated tools or algorithms derived from trials. The overall quality of iOS apps statistically outperformed that of Android apps in both years (P<.05). Furthermore, the involvement of health care professionals in app development was associated with enhanced quality, a trend observed in both years (P=.003 for both years).ConclusionsThis review of mobile health apps for PH reveals their emergent development stage, with generally acceptable quality but lacking refinement. It highlights the critical role of health care professionals in app development, as they contribute significantly to quality and reliability. Despite this, a notable stagnation in app quality and functionality improvement over 2 years points to a need for continuous innovation and clinical validation for effective clinical integration. This research advocates for future app developers to actively engage with health care professionals, integrate patient insights, and mandate rigorous clinical validation for PH management.

BackgroundVaccination services are increasingly in demand by the public, and mobile apps are an effective tool to meet that demand. However, the characteristics and quality of these apps are unknown.ObjectiveCommonly used vaccination service apps on the market were surveyed with regard to quality, service content, and user experience to evaluate and guide users.MethodsThe Qimai Data mobile app data analytics platform was used to search for common vaccination service apps by keyword, and the WeChat and Alipay platforms were searched for apps. The apps included in the study were independently evaluated by two reviewers using the Mobile Application Rating Scale, and the service content and user experience of the apps were analyzed. The intragroup correlation coefficient between raters was used to measure interrater reliability.ResultsIn the app stores of the four major Android platforms and the iOS app store, 1092 and 207 apps were found, respectively; 189 WeChat applets and 30 Alipay applets were also found. A total of 29 apps was ultimately included in this study according to the inclusion criteria, including 21 independent apps, 4 WeChat applets, and 4 Alipay applets. Significant differences were found between independent apps and applets in terms of the quality score (t449.57=–5.301; P<.001) and the subjective quality score (z=–4.753; P<.001). No significant differences were found between iOS and Android platforms in terms of the quality score (t1404=–2.55; P=.80) and the subjective quality score (z=–0.137; P=.89). There was good intragroup consistency among the raters.ConclusionsIn this study, independent apps and nonindependent apps that rely on social and payment platforms for implementation were included in the vaccination services category. The overall quality of these apps was acceptable. Nonindependent running apps were found to have slightly lower scores and showed room for improvement, and scores for the participatory apps were found to be generally low overall.

Apple introduced privacy labels in Dec. 2020 as a way for developers to report the privacy behaviors of their apps. While Apple does not validate labels, they also require developers to provide a privacy policy, which offers an important comparison point. In this paper, we fine-tuned BERT-based language models to extract privacy policy features for 474,669 apps on the iOS App Store, comparing the output to the privacy labels. We identify discrepancies between the policies and the labels, particularly as they relate to data collected linked to users. We find that 228K apps' privacy policies may indicate data collection linked to users than what is reported in the privacy labels. More alarming, a large number (97%) of the apps with a Data Not Collected privacy label have a privacy policy indicating otherwise. We provide insights into potential sources for discrepancies, including the use of templates and confusion around Apple's definitions and requirements. These results suggest that significant work is still needed to help developers more accurately label their apps. Our system can be incorporated as a first-order check to inform developers when privacy labels are possibly misapplied.

Mobile health applications (apps) hold promise as tools for symptom tracking and management of chronic rheumatic diseases such as PsA. Apps for PsA have not been systematically evaluated. We conducted a comprehensive review of apps designed for patients with PsA. The iOS and Android app stores were searched using the term 'arthritis' and individual app descriptions were reviewed for 'psoriatic arthritis'. Apps were downloaded and rated using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS). Additionally, the apps were evaluated to determine functionality, use of symptom scales and potential for integration within clinical care. The search was conducted in spring 2024 and 130 apps were found that mentioned 'arthritis'. Seven had specific mentions of PsA in their description. We found several other relevant apps by following recommendations in the app stores. In total, 10 apps for patients with PsA were identified. MARS scores suggest they were moderate to excellent in quality. The functionality of the 10 apps differed: 7 allowed for symptom tracking, 3 allowed for data export to health records, 2 allowed for medication tracking and 1 contained a patient community platform. The symptom tracking capabilities varied widely and we could find only one published study of any of the apps. We analysed apps for PsA to identify potential unmet needs and found that there are few publicly available apps, their functionality varies tremendously and testing of these apps is almost non-existent. There appears to be room for improvement of apps for PsA.

In China, the current situation of myopia among children and adolescents is very serious. Prevention and control of myopia are inhibited by the lack of medical resources and the low awareness about eye care. Nevertheless, mobile apps provide an effective means to solve these problems. Since the health app market in China is still immature, it has become particularly important to conduct a study to assess the quality of eye-care apps to facilitate the development of better eye-care service strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the quality, functionality, medical evidence, and professional background of eye-care apps targeting children and adolescents in the Chinese app stores. A systematic search on iOS and Android app stores was performed to identify eye-care apps for children and adolescents. The general characteristics, development context, and functional features of the apps were described. Quality assessment of the apps was completed by 2 independent researchers using the Mobile App Rating Scale. This study included 29 apps, of which 17 (59%) were developed by commercial organizations and 12 (41%) had a design with relevant scientific basis. The main built-in functions of these apps include self-testing (18/29, 62%), eye exercises (16/29, 55%), and eye-care education (16/29, 55%). The mean overall quality of eye-care apps was 3.49 (SD 0.33), with a score ranging from 2.89 to 4.39. The overall Mobile App Rating Scale score exhibited a significant positive correlation with the subscale scores (r=0.81-0.91; P<.001). In addition, although most apps provided basic eye-care features, there are some deficiencies. For example, only a few apps were developed with the participation of medical organizations or professional ophthalmologists, and most of the apps were updated infrequently, failing to provide the latest eye-care information and technology in a timely manner. In general, the quality of eye-care apps for children and teenagers in Chinese app stores is good. These apps fulfill users' needs for eye-care services to a certain extent, but they still suffer from insufficient medical background, low user engagement, and untimely updates. In order to further improve the effectiveness of eye-care apps, cooperation with medical institutions and professional ophthalmologists should be strengthened to enhance the scientific and authoritative nature of the apps. At the same time, interactive features and regular updates should be added to enhance user participation and the continuity of the apps. This study provides a reference for future development or improvement of eye-care apps, which can help promote myopia prevention and control.