Are Urologic Cell Phone Medical Applications in China’s Market Available in Clinical Practice at Present? A Research based on Android System

Abstract

Objectives: To find out the current situation about cellphone telemedicine in China, cellphone telemedicine for urology being analyzed specifically. Methods: An online research on Android medical apps was conducted with google play app store. Medical apps met inclusion criteria were recorded and analyzed. Medical apps for urology were specially studied. Result: General medical apps and urology-specific apps could both be divided into following groups with following numbers and proportions: for patients (239, 45.5% vs. 35, 50.0%), for doctor-patient interaction (DPI) (17, 3.2% vs. 4, 5.7%), for doctors (169, 32.2% vs. 23, 32.9%) and for medical education (100, 19.0% vs. 8, 11.4%). “For patients” and “for doctors’ group could be further divided by app functions. Conclusion: Functions of medical apps in China’s market have already covered a large range of fields. Apps facing single group of users, either patients or doctors, take the majority and can be useful in some clinical practice. Apps for doctor-patient interaction are still far from sufficient and perfect and development should be achieved in both amount and function. Further studies should be conducted on cost-effectiveness.