Mobile Applications for Self-Management of Hypertension: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Aim: To recognize and describe applications from Apple and Google geared towards the self-management of hypertension and to evaluate their quality, functionality, content validity, and usefulness. Methods: This is a systematic review of the mobile applications for self-management of hypertension available in the Philippines. The inclusion criteria included applications that were created within the last five years, are smartphone-based, and operate on either the Android OS or iOS. The study excluded applications that target other medical conditions, and applications that are solely for reference and clinicians’ use. Selected applications were evaluated through the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and underwent clinical guidelines compliance analysis. Results: A total of 1607 applications were filtered, leaving 266 applications. Twelve applications complied with the criteria, but due to inaccessibility, only four (4) were included in the study. The FITZY+ obtained the highest MARS average (4.06). Functionality domain had the highest score of more than half (3/4, 75%) of the applications. All the applications (4/4, 100%) were adherent to the treatment for hypertension in reference to the clinical guidelines. Conclusion and Implications: Mobile health applications are promising tools, capable of minimizing the occurrence and degree of hypertension. However, the applications for self-management of hypertension are limited and of substandard quality due to inadequate information and research. Although applications satisfy some clinical guidelines, physical therapists should advise their patients not to rely solely on them as they are not the most optimal form of medical care.