SynthesisJournal of medical Internet research2024
Patients' Perspectives on the Data Confidentiality, Privacy, and Security of mHealth Apps: Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Journal of medical Internet research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 64 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
64 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Influencing Factors of Mobile Health Apps in Kidney Transplant Care: Systematic Review Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.JMIR medical informatics · 2026Pooled it
- Impact of Smartphone Apps on Reperfusion Times and Clinical Outcomes in Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Pooled it
- Context-Contingent Privacy Concerns and Exploration of the Privacy Paradox in the Age of AI, Augmented Reality, Big Data, and the Internet of Things: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Advancing Remote Monitoring for Patients With Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias: Systematic Review.JMIR aging · 2025Pooled it
- Advancing Health Care With Digital Twins: Meta-Review of Applications and Implementation Challenges.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Service User Experiences and Perceptions of Virtual Mental Health and Substance Use Care in Canada: A Survey of the Wellness Together Canada Portal.Mayo Clinic proceedings. Digital health · 2026Article
- Participants' experiences with the hybrid digital psychotherapy intervention-DIGIT for obesity and distress: A qualitative interview study.Internet interventions · 2026Article
- Motivations, Barriers, and the Potential of AI in Physical Activity Apps for US Older Adults: Interview Study.JMIR aging · 2026Article
- Enhancing Mental Wellness in Kenyan Adolescents and Young People: Protocol for a Platform Development and Usability Study.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of a Behavior Change Wheel-Informed WeChat-Based Messaging Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: 12-Week Quasi-Experimental Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Value in app store metadata and user reviews: A dual perspective on quality of Parkinson's and dementia apps.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- When Care Becomes Digital: Shared Experiences in Psychiatric Nursing-A Phenomenological Study.Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing · 2026Article
- Willingness and Preferences for Mobile Health Versus In-Person Healthcare Services Among People Living With HIV: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Perspectives of young people with neuromotor disabilities on shared digital portals in paediatric rehabilitation: A descriptive-interpretive qualitative study.Developmental medicine and child neurology · 2026Article
- Infant Feeding Apps and Digital Parenting in Australia: Qualitative Study.JMIR pediatrics and parenting · 2026Article
- Impact of mobile health interventions for mental health literacy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Exploring needs and priorities in digital health management for rare disease patients and their caregivers: A mixed-methods study.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Technology and Obesity: A Year in Review.Advances in therapy · 2026Review
- Fostering Digital Resilience Among Youth Who Experienced Cyberbullying: Design Thinking Approach.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Perceived Sensitivity of Sensor-Based Digital Health Data: Qualitative Interview Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Article
4 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMobile health (mHealth) apps have the potential to enhance health care service delivery. However, concerns regarding patients' confidentiality, privacy, and security consistently affect the adoption of mHealth apps. Despite this, no review has comprehensively summarized the findings of studies on this subject matter.
objectiveThis systematic review aims to investigate patients' perspectives and awareness of the confidentiality, privacy, and security of the data collected through mHealth apps.
methodsUsing the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in 3 electronic databases: PubMed, Ovid, and ScienceDirect. All the retrieved articles were screened according to specific inclusion criteria to select relevant articles published between 2014 and 2022.
resultsA total of 33 articles exploring mHealth patients' perspectives and awareness of data privacy, security, and confidentiality issues and the associated factors were included in this systematic review. Thematic analyses of the retrieved data led to the synthesis of 4 themes: concerns about data privacy, confidentiality, and security; awareness; facilitators and enablers; and associated factors. Patients showed discordant and concordant perspectives regarding data privacy, security, and confidentiality, as well as suggesting approaches to improve the use of mHealth apps (facilitators), such as protection of personal data, ensuring that health status or medical conditions are not mentioned, brief training or education on data security, and assuring data confidentiality and privacy. Similarly, awareness of the subject matter differed across the studies, suggesting the need to improve patients' awareness of data security and privacy. Older patients, those with a history of experiencing data breaches, and those belonging to the higher-income class were more likely to raise concerns about the data security and privacy of mHealth apps. These concerns were not frequent among patients with higher satisfaction levels and those who perceived the data type to be less sensitive.
conclusionsPatients expressed diverse views on mHealth apps' privacy, security, and confidentiality, with some of the issues raised affecting technology use. These findings may assist mHealth app developers and other stakeholders in improving patients' awareness and adjusting current privacy and security features in mHealth apps to enhance their adoption and use.
trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42023456658; https://tinyurl.com/ytnjtmca.
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Registered trials
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.