مدیریت اطلاعات سلامت (May 2016)
Quality Evaluation of Mobile Health Systems
Abstract
Introduction: Despite the great importance of comprehensive evaluation of mobile health services, as a part of novel health services, most researches have only focused on the evaluation of the technical aspects and have neglected other aspects of these services. The main objective of this study was the identification and prioritization of the indicators and dimensions of mobile health systems’ quality by considering all critical aspects including technical, information, and interactive dimensions. Methods: This applied and descriptive study was conducted through survey method. A questionnaire was used to collect data the validity of which was confirmed by academic experts. The statistical population of the study included experts of health services quality evaluation with emphasis on mobile health with more than 3 years of experience in this field. Using judgmental sampling (non-probability purposive sampling), 28 subjects were selected and questionnaires were distributed among them. The content validity of the scale was confirmed by experts and its reliability was approved through calculation of inconsistency rate for all pairwise comparison matrixes (less than 0.1). The collected data were analyzed using the analytic hierarchy process in Expert Choice Software. Results: The interaction quality dimension was the most important among the dimensions of quality assessment of mobile health services. In addition, the indicators of privacy, effectiveness, safety, real-time performance, accountability, after-sales service, and patient-centered services were respectively, the most important quality indicators. Conclusion: It is necessary to study mobile health services in the context of other health services and not just simply as software. The success of a mobile health system is based, first, on the quality of general health service indicators such as accountability, patient-centered services, and privacy, and then, on the quality of software system indicators. Therefore, it is necessary for all stakeholders to be involved in the process of designing a mobile health service in order to improve the chances of success.
