A framework of evaluation of mobile wellness apps for use in a clinical setting

Mobile apps have been developed for monitoring health and wellness for various reasons such as self-management of chronic diseases, weight loss and maintain healthy life style. As consumers, patients are flooded with new mobile apps and are unaware if they are suitable for desired health and wellness outcomes. As much as a clinician would like to support a patient centered approach and promote mobile wellness apps, the clinicians are unable to guide their patients with new technologies such as mobile wellness apps. Reviews of apps do not have specific guidelines to follow and as new improved apps are introduced previous reviews get obsolete. Hence a framework of guidelines is necessary for clinicians to help their patients to choose the right apps for self-management of disease or general healthy wellbeing.