Fani Gkrozou and Natasha Waters
Introduction: Smartphone applications (apps) are equivalent to programs run on personal computers. The interest in smartphones has brought the field of mobile health (mHealth). Despite the big number of women with endometriosis and the severity of their symptoms, mHealth apps within this field have not been reviewed to date. The aim of this study is to assess the status of contemporary apps targeted at endometriosis and women with chronic pelvic pain. Material and methods: Smartphone mHealth apps specifically relating to endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain were identified by searching the largest app stores (Apple iTunes, Google Play, BlackBerry World). Only apps in the English language were included. Results: 26 app were included in the study for further analysis. Nine (34.6%) are clinical guidelines. Seven (27%) are social networking, allowing users to share their stories. Eight apps (31%) used as patient’s diary. Twelve out of 26 apps (46%) had documented evidence base practice. Eleven (42%) had Medical Professional involvement in their development. Discussion: As technology portability, ubiquity, accessibility at point of care delivery and processing power of smartphones offers huge potential in the healthcare context. Implications for practice and/or policy: This is the first study to review apps targeted on endometriosis and is a valuable reference for clinicians, app designers, and policy makers with an interest in the area. Conclusions: Endometriosis is a chronic disease with a huge impact in women life. As healthcare providers, we need to take advantage of the technology to improve our patient’s life.
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