A Systematic Review of Korea’s Medication Management Mobile Application

Abstract

There is a growing interest in digital healthcare to manage disease and improve medication compliance. In Korea, the health apps market continues to grow, however, little research has been done on their content and quality. A thorough assessment beyond the current star rating would ensure the safety and effectiveness of health apps. A systematic search was conducted in the Google Play and Apple App Store. The Korean version of the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) was used to access and systematically evaluate the contents of available medication management apps. Descriptions and technical information about the app were collected based on AppStore and the software company’s website. A total of 2,135 apps were identified and 39 apps were evaluated by four independent reviewers. Of the apps included, 17.9% were paid ones, at a cost between $2 and $4. The oldest was developed 11 years ago and 5 apps (12.8%) were released within the last year. The study results identified the features of apps used to manage medications, ranging from reminders to connecting to IoT devices. In addition, relationships were identified between the input variables studied, including health professionals, updates, and quality scores using MARS. The findings of this review highlight the importance of quality control with adequate features and continuous maintenance in health apps. In addition, to achieve effectiveness with good medication adherence, along with the inclusion of health professionals, close collaboration with all stakeholders in addition to the proper integration of newly updated technology is essential.