Publicly available apps for cancer survivors: a scoping review
Objectives To review the nature and scope of apps targeting individuals living with and beyond cancer.Design Scoping review, searching the two largest app stores, Google Play and Apple’s App store. App descriptions were exported verbatim, and summarised descriptively, thematically and by content cod...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2019-09-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/9/e032510.full |
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| author | Peter Murchie Rosalind Adam Drew McMichael Daniel Powell |
| author_facet | Peter Murchie Rosalind Adam Drew McMichael Daniel Powell |
| author_sort | Peter Murchie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives To review the nature and scope of apps targeting individuals living with and beyond cancer.Design Scoping review, searching the two largest app stores, Google Play and Apple’s App store. App descriptions were exported verbatim, and summarised descriptively, thematically and by content coding.Results We included 151 apps targeting individuals living with and beyond cancer. Most targeted all cancer types (n=89, 58.9%) or breast cancer (n=22, 14.6%) and originated in the USA (n=68, 45.0%). The country of origin was unclear for 31 (20.5%) apps. Most apps were developed by commercial companies/private individuals (n=64, 43%) or non-profit organisations (n=30, 19.9%) and marketed apps in terms of fighting metaphors, navigating a journey and becoming empowered to take control.App content could be summarised under five main categories: (1) imparting information about cancer; (2) planning and organising cancer care; (3) interacting with others (including others affected by cancer and healthcare professionals); (4) enacting management strategies and adjusting to life with or beyond cancer and (5) getting feedback about cancer management, for example, by sharing self-monitoring reports with professionals. We found some apps describing ‘cures’ for cancer or selling products, such as alkaline waters to cancer survivors.Conclusions Apps are currently available via on-line stores that cover a large spectrum of cancer survivorship activities. The effects of such apps on clinical consultations, patient work/burden and clinical outcomes merit further attention. Most apps are developed by commercial organisations, and promises of empowerment in the ‘fight’ against cancer are tempered by the potential for exaggerated claims and exploitation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-51394db5aff844bea9f15f16f2224ce5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-09-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-51394db5aff844bea9f15f16f2224ce52024-11-28T21:20:13ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-09-019910.1136/bmjopen-2019-032510Publicly available apps for cancer survivors: a scoping reviewPeter Murchie0Rosalind Adam1Drew McMichael2Daniel Powell310 The Centre of Academic Primary Care, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UKAcademic Primary Care, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, Aberdeen, UK1 Academic Primary Care, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK4 Health Psychology, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UKObjectives To review the nature and scope of apps targeting individuals living with and beyond cancer.Design Scoping review, searching the two largest app stores, Google Play and Apple’s App store. App descriptions were exported verbatim, and summarised descriptively, thematically and by content coding.Results We included 151 apps targeting individuals living with and beyond cancer. Most targeted all cancer types (n=89, 58.9%) or breast cancer (n=22, 14.6%) and originated in the USA (n=68, 45.0%). The country of origin was unclear for 31 (20.5%) apps. Most apps were developed by commercial companies/private individuals (n=64, 43%) or non-profit organisations (n=30, 19.9%) and marketed apps in terms of fighting metaphors, navigating a journey and becoming empowered to take control.App content could be summarised under five main categories: (1) imparting information about cancer; (2) planning and organising cancer care; (3) interacting with others (including others affected by cancer and healthcare professionals); (4) enacting management strategies and adjusting to life with or beyond cancer and (5) getting feedback about cancer management, for example, by sharing self-monitoring reports with professionals. We found some apps describing ‘cures’ for cancer or selling products, such as alkaline waters to cancer survivors.Conclusions Apps are currently available via on-line stores that cover a large spectrum of cancer survivorship activities. The effects of such apps on clinical consultations, patient work/burden and clinical outcomes merit further attention. Most apps are developed by commercial organisations, and promises of empowerment in the ‘fight’ against cancer are tempered by the potential for exaggerated claims and exploitation.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/9/e032510.full |
| spellingShingle | Peter Murchie Rosalind Adam Drew McMichael Daniel Powell Publicly available apps for cancer survivors: a scoping review BMJ Open |
| title | Publicly available apps for cancer survivors: a scoping review |
| title_full | Publicly available apps for cancer survivors: a scoping review |
| title_fullStr | Publicly available apps for cancer survivors: a scoping review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Publicly available apps for cancer survivors: a scoping review |
| title_short | Publicly available apps for cancer survivors: a scoping review |
| title_sort | publicly available apps for cancer survivors a scoping review |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/9/e032510.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT petermurchie publiclyavailableappsforcancersurvivorsascopingreview AT rosalindadam publiclyavailableappsforcancersurvivorsascopingreview AT drewmcmichael publiclyavailableappsforcancersurvivorsascopingreview AT danielpowell publiclyavailableappsforcancersurvivorsascopingreview |