Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34047709›Full record

ArticleJMIR mHealth and uHealth2021

Self-Management Apps for People With Epilepsy: Systematic Analysis.

Mohsen Zaied Alzamanan, Kheng-Seang Lim, Maizatul Akmar Ismail, Norjihan Abdul Ghani

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

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 19 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
3.9field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
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, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 38 citations in OpenAlex.

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  17. Smartphone applications for the management of epilepsy in children and adolescents.Revista paulista de pediatria : orgao oficial da Sociedade de Pediatria de Sao Paulo · 2024
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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

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Mohsen Zaied Alzamanan *Department of Information Systems, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0001-6073-9999
Kheng-Seang LimDivision of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0002-2787-2365
Maizatul Akmar IsmailDepartment of Information Systems, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0003-1877-7128
Norjihan Abdul GhaniDepartment of Information Systems, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0002-0804-3916
University of Malaya · MY

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients with epilepsy (PWEs) are motivated to manage and cope with their disorder themselves (ie, self-management [SM] is encouraged). Mobile health (mHealth) apps have multiple features that have a huge potential to improve SM of individuals with chronic disorders such as epilepsy.

objectiveThis study aimed to review all freely available apps related to the SM of PWEs and to determine the SM domains covered in these apps.

methodsWe performed a search of apps on Google Play and App Store using the keywords "epilepsy" or "seizures" from May to August 2018. Apps were included if they were free and in English language. We excluded apps with installation-related issues and not related to epilepsy self-management (eSM).

resultsA total of 22 eSM apps were identified in our search: 6 of these run only on iOS, 7 only on Android, and 9 run on both operating systems. Of the 11 domains of SM, seizure tracking and seizure response features were covered by most apps (n=22 and n=19, respectively), followed by treatment management (n=17) and medication adherence (n=15). Three apps (Epilepsy Journal, Epilepsy Tool Kit, and EpiDiary) were installed more than 10,000 times, with features focused specifically on a few domains (treatment management, medication adherence, health care communication, and seizure tracking). Two apps (Young Epilepsy and E-Epilepsy Inclusion) covered more than 6 SM domains but both had lower installation rates (5000+ and 100+, respectively).

conclusionsBoth Android and iOS mHealth apps are available to improve SM in epilepsy, but the installation rate of most apps remains low. The SM features of these apps were different from one another, making it difficult to recommend a single app that completely fulfills the needs of PWEs. The common features of the apps evaluated included seizure tracking and seizure response. To improve the efficacy and availability of these apps, we propose the following: (1) involve the stakeholders, such as physicians, pharmacists, and PWEs, during the development of mHealth apps; (2) assess the efficacy and acceptance of the apps objectively by performing a usability analysis; and (3) promote the apps so that they benefit more PWEs.

Indexed as

EpilepsyMobile ApplicationsSelf-ManagementHumansSeizuresSelf Careepilepsymobile healthself-managementsmartphone

Identifiers

PMID34047709
PMCPMC8196364
OpenAlexW3165585352

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.