Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36303168›Full record

ArticleTrials2022

Smartphone-RCCT: an online repository of randomized controlled clinical trials of smartphone applications for chronic conditions.

Jürgen Barth, Jiani Wang, Jesus Lopez-Alcalde, Christoph Kramm, Daniel Pach, Noelia Álvarez-Díaz, Eulàlia Grifol-Clar, Claudia M Witt

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Trials, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 19% 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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
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

8 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Jürgen BarthInstitute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. mail@juergen-barth.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7096-7178
Jiani WangCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Berlin, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0618-8337
Jesus Lopez-AlcaldeInstitute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1598-8790
Christoph KrammInstitute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Daniel PachInstitute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2459-6596
Noelia Álvarez-DíazMedical Library, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5904-3609
Eulàlia Grifol-ClarMedical Library, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3944-0372
Claudia M WittInstitute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5440-7805
University of Zurich · CHHospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón · ESHumboldt-Universität zu Berlin · DEInstituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria · ESUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore · US

Funding

Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field: Resource for ResearchR24AT001293 · NCCIH · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · PI BERMAN, BRIAN M, WIELAND, LISA SUSAN · 2003 to 2022
$9.4M
Foundation for the National Institutes of Health NIH 2R24AT001293, Subaward 020468DNCCIH NIH HHS R24 AT001293
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronic health conditions have a big impact on disability, morbidity, and mortality worldwide. Smartphone health applications (apps) can improve the health of patients with chronic conditions and enhance the quality and efficiency of healthcare. The number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of smartphone health apps is increasing, but a collection of the available evidence into a single database is still missing. The purpose of this study is to describe Smartphone-RCCT, which is an in-progress database of RCTs of smartphone apps for chronic conditions.

methodsFor a study to be included in the database, the following criteria had to be met: (a) RCT published in a peer-reviewed journal; (b) population: adult study participants with one or several chronic conditions that represent the main health problem addressed by the study intervention; (c) intervention: smartphone health app used by the patient; (d) comparator: any control condition; (e) outcomes: any patient-reported health outcome (studies exclusively measuring the patients' knowledge about the chronic conditions or their satisfaction with the smartphone app were excluded); (f) sample size: at least 15 participants per study arm. We searched in electronic databases and other resources to identify relevant studies. Two reviewers selected the studies and extracted data independently. Annual updates are planned.

resultsThe proposed database is called Smartphone-RCCT, an open-access repository collecting bibliographic references and important characteristics of RCTs of smartphone apps for chronic conditions. The database is available for free in Open Science Framework (OSF): https://osf.io/nxerf/ . To date, it includes 70 trials. Their references can be exported to standard reference management software and the extracted data is available in a Microsoft Excel file.

conclusionsSmartphone-RCCT is the first systematic open-access database collecting peer-reviewed publications of RCTs of smartphone apps for patients with chronic conditions. The database accelerates the delivery of evidence-based information in a dynamic research field. It represents an essential resource for different stakeholders, such as professionals working in evidence synthesis, meta-epidemiological studies, or planning an RCT.

Indexed as

Chronic DiseaseMobile ApplicationsRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAdultHumansSmartphoneAppChronic conditionsChronic diseasesDatabaseeHealthmHealthSmartphone

Identifiers

PMID36303168
PMCPMC9615349
OpenAlexW4307639569

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.