A new study shows mHealth apps lack evidence and imperil patient privacy

And while this study only examined 24 mHealth apps, its results could translate over to the abundance of others on the market: App stores have become saturated with mHealth apps, with more than 318,000 available for download worldwide.

And consumers are becoming exceedingly interested in these tools: There were an estimated 3.7 billion mHealth app downloads globally in 2017, up from 1.7 billion in 2013, according to the most recent data available from Statista.

Further, traditional healthcare players, like hospitals and insurers, are key players in mHealth holding 32% of the global market using the tools as an extension of their core business, per Research2Guidance. But stakeholders might be wise to forgo incorporating these tools into their care plans as research that highlights the flaws of mHealh apps continues to surface.

Heres what it means:This latest research lengthens the list of issues associated with mHealth solutions:

mHealth apps sharing of user data with third and fourth parties could jeopardize patient privacy.Two-thirds of the entities that received user data provided services related to collecting and analyzing data, like advertising. Fourth parties including Facebook and Oracle were also the recipients of user data. Users are largely unaware that their information including sensitive medical information and browsing behavior is being passed around, yet it exposes them to a slew of privacy risks.
Theres little evidence that the majority of mHealth apps are effective.Out of the hundreds of thousands of mHealth apps on the market, the effectiveness of only 22 has been evaluated in the last decade, per a study published in Nature. The lack of research is telling of mHealths precariousness and it begs the question: is mHealth too risky to be implemented in clinical settings?

The bigger picture:mHealth platforms could cause more harm than good to providers and payers that choose to use them to improve consumer health.

If privacy is on the line, burgeoning distrust could threaten relationships with patients.Providers and payers could have a problem retaining customers if they suggest mHealth solutions that dont work or leak user data. Health firms should be transparent with their patients about the potential pitfalls of mHealth products if they want to maintain their patient base; otherwise, their reputations and wallets could bear the repercussions.
Ineffective mHealth apps could leave providers in a costly quandary.Ideally, supplementing care with mHealth apps would drive patients to seek out other guidance before visiting the doctor. Apps that enable providers to monitor patients remotely, for example, could help reduce the volume of patient visits. But if theres little evidence of mHealths efficacy, providers could end up wasting money. The average mHealth app costs $425,000 to develop, and if an app ends up being a flop, providers will have to face the financial consequences brought on by an influx of patients.

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