Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31520041›Full record

ArticleBritish dental journal2019

Patient focused oral hygiene apps: an assessment of quality (using MARS) and knowledge content.

Mohammad Owaise Sharif, Aslam Alkadhimi

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Article in British dental journal, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed.

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  12. Evaluation of Oral Hygiene-Related Mobile Apps for Children in Sub-Saharan Africa.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Article
  13. Oral-Hygiene-Related Mobile Apps in the French App Stores: Assessment of Functionality and Quality.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Review
  14. Codesign and Feasibility Testing of a Tool to Evaluate Overweight and Obesity Apps.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Mohammad Owaise SharifUniversity College London, Eastman Dental Institute, Orthodontic Department, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London, UK. msharif2@nhs.net.
Aslam AlkadhimiUniversity College London, Eastman Dental Institute, Orthodontic Department, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction Smartphone apps can be a valuable means for education and prevention to improve the health of children, adolescents and adults. A recent review of apps has revealed that there are over 1,000 patient-focused oral hygiene apps available on the Apple App Store and Google Play (Android) store.Objective The purpose of this research is to objectively assess the quality of 20 commercially available, patient-focused oral hygiene apps using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Furthermore, the accuracy of oral hygiene-related information contained within the apps will be assessed.Methods Apps meeting inclusion criteria were evaluated for: 1) quality using the MARS tool; and 2) information accuracy using an eight-item, evidence-based checklist relating to important aspects in the prevention of caries and periodontal disease.Results The mean app quality score was 3.4/5 (2.3-4.9). On average, of the four MARS subscales assessed, 'functionality' had the highest mean score (4) and 'information' had the lowest (2.9). With regard to the accuracy of information contained within these apps, only two were found to contain accurate information for all eight items of the checklist. The majority (60%) of the apps (n = 13) did not contain information relating to at least 50% or more of the items present.Conclusions Currently available apps appear to be functional, however, there is a need to improve engagement, aesthetics and most importantly information content of apps.

Indexed as

Mobile ApplicationsAdolescentAdultChildEsthetics, DentalHumansOral Hygiene

Identifiers

PMID31520041

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.