ArticleJMIR mHealth and uHealth2021
Privacy Policy Compliance of Chronic Disease Management Apps in China: Scale Development and Content Evaluation.
Article in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Privacy Policy Compliance of Mobile Sports and Health Apps in China: Scale Development, Data Analysis, and Prospects for Regulatory Reform.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Article
- Personal medical data protection of mobile pharmacy apps in China 2025: scale development and content analysis.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2026Article
- Empowering chronic disease management with smart healthcare in China: a policy effectiveness evaluation by PMC index model.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- [Analysis of Responsibilities and Coordination Among Key Stakeholders in Chronic Disease Prevention and Control in China Based on the Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions Framework].Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition · 2025Article
- Quality and Privacy Policy Compliance of Mental Health Care Apps in China: Cross-Sectional Evaluation Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Digital technology empowers model innovation in chronic disease management in Chinese grassroots communities.Frontiers in digital health · 2025Article
- Medical Information Protection in Internet Hospital Apps in China: Scale Development and Content Analysis.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2024Article
- A Proposal for a Robust Validated Weighted General Data Protection Regulation-Based Scale to Assess the Quality of Privacy Policies of Mobile Health Applications: An eDelphi Study.Methods of information in medicine · 2023Article
- Personal Information Protection and Privacy Policy Compliance of Health Code Apps in China: Scale Development and Content Analysis.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundWith the development of mobile health (mHealth), chronic disease management apps have brought not only the possibility of reducing the burden of chronic diseases but also huge privacy risks to patients' health data.
objectiveThe purpose of the study was to analyze the extent to which chronic disease management apps in China comply with the Personal Information Security Specification (PI Specification).
methodsThe compliance of 45 popular chronic disease management apps was evaluated from the perspective of the information life cycle. To conduct a fine-grained evaluation, a scale based on the PI Specification was developed. Finally, 6 level 1 indicators, 22 level 2 indicators, and 61 level 3 indicators were defined.
resultsThere were 33/45 apps (73%) with a privacy policy, and the average score of these apps was 40.4 out of 100. Items of level 1 indicators with high scores included general characteristics (mean 51.9% [SD 28.1%]), information collection and use (mean 51.1% [SD 36.7%]), and information sharing and transfer (mean 50.3% [SD 33.5%]). Information storage and protection had the lowest compliance with PI Specification (mean 29.4% [SD 32.4%]). Few personal information (PI) controllers have stated how to handle security incidents, including security incident reporting (7/33, 21%), security incident notification (10/33, 30%), and commitment to bear corresponding legal responsibility for PI security incidents (1/33, 3%). The performance of apps in the stage of information destruction (mean 31.8% [SD 40.0%]) was poor, and only 21% (7/33) apps would notify third parties to promptly delete PI after individuals cancelled their accounts. Moreover, the scoring rate for rights of PI subjects is generally low (mean 31.2% [SD 35.5%]), especially for obtaining copies of PI (15%) and responding to requests (25%).
conclusionsAlthough most chronic disease management apps had a privacy policy, the total compliance rate of the policy content was low, especially in the stage of information storage and protection. Thus, the field has a long way to go with regard to compliance around personal privacy protection in China.
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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.