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Mobile health apps for gastroesophageal reflux disease patients are too complex and must be simplified to make them more accessible.
Simpler wording and shorter sentences would improve readability of GERD-focused apps in Apple’s App Store, according to a new study published in The Laryngoscope. Researchers from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit evaluated the software tools using the Readability Studio Professional Version 2015 for Windows. The study, the research team notes, is an important first step for identifying app literacy issues for other chronic illnesses, as well.
"These results suggest significant gaps in understanding between the GERD apps analyzed and the average reader, diminishing the potential positives of the apps and exacerbating the likelihood of poorer outcomes among patients with lower health literacy,” the authors say. “Our hope is that these findings influence future mobile health app development, leading to more simplified and more accessible information regarding GERD.”
The researchers cite the increasing role of apps and the lack of investigation on quality despite the fact that poor health literacy has long been associated with poor health outcomes. The research findings indicate GERD apps fall into the “fairly difficult” readability range.
Consumers, providers and payers increasingly are tapping apps to drive improved diagnosis and treatment; to that end, app quality is growing as a concern.
In September, Apple released new App Store review guidelines to begin eliminating potentially dangerous health and medical apps. The prior month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released updated recommendations for mHealth tool makers regarding product modification and draft guidance for software changes.