Chronic pain and mobile health: Are the apps that occupational therapists recommend of high quality?

INTRODUCTION

Chronic pain is a biopsychosocial experience that can impact peoples' ability to participate in everyday occupations. Mobile health applications, or apps, have the potential to make chronic pain services more effective and accessible. However, the quality of many health apps is not known, which creates a critical challenge for occupational therapists who aim to deliver evidence-informed intervention. This study rated the quality of apps available for Australian occupational therapists to use with clients who have chronic pain.

CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: No consumer and community involvement.

METHODS

This study used a cross-sectional descriptive design to (1) identify chronic pain-relevant apps through browser and app store searches, and through a survey of Australian occupational therapists; and (2) evaluate the quality of the apps relevant to occupational therapy practice, at a single point in time, using the Mobile Application Rating Scale.

RESULTS

A total of 27 eligible apps were identified (n = 27). The 27 apps were rated for quality. The mean Objective Quality score of all apps was 3.33/5.00 (acceptable), with a range of 2.14 (poor) to 4.13 (good). The mean Objective Subsection Quality scores were 3.88 (acceptable) for Functionality, 3.25 (acceptable) for Aesthetics, 3.23 (acceptable) for Information, and 2.96 (poor) for Engagement. The mean Subjective Quality score of all apps was 2.67 (poor), with a range of 1.00 (inadequate) to 4.25 (good).

CONCLUSION

There was no consistent standard to the quality of chronic pain-relevant apps identified. Occupational therapists may not be identifying all high-quality chronic pain-relevant apps currently available. Findings highlight that occupational therapists lack access to an easy method to identify and verify high-quality apps for use with clients who have chronic pain. Further work is needed to ensure occupational therapists can identify and evaluate the quality of chronic pain-relevant apps in a rapidly changing field of practice.