Quality assessment of mHealth apps: a scoping review

IntroductionThe number of mHealth apps has increased rapidly during recent years. Literature suggests a number of problems and barriers to the adoption of mHealth apps, including issues such as validity, usability, as well as data privacy and security. Continuous quality assessment and assurance systems might help to overcome these barriers. Aim of this scoping review was to collate literature on quality assessment tools and quality assurance systems for mHealth apps, compile the components of the tools, and derive overarching quality dimensions, which are potentially relevant for the continuous quality assessment of mHealth apps.MethodsLiterature searches were performed in Medline, EMBASE and PsycInfo. Articles in English or German language were included if they contained information on development, application, or validation of generic concepts of quality assessment or quality assurance of mHealth apps. Screening and extraction were carried out by two researchers independently. Identified quality criteria and aspects were extracted and clustered into quality dimensions.ResultsA total of 70 publications met inclusion criteria. Included publications contain information on five quality assurance systems and further 24 quality assessment tools for mHealth apps. Of these 29 systems/tools, 8 were developed for the assessment of mHealth apps for specific diseases, 16 for assessing mHealth apps for all fields of health and another five are not restricted to health apps. Identified quality criteria and aspects were extracted and grouped into a total of 14 quality dimensions, namely “information and transparency”, “validity and (added) value”, “(medical) safety”, “interoperability and compatibility”, “actuality”, “engagement”, “data privacy and data security”, “usability and design”, “technology”, “organizational aspects”, “social aspects”, “legal aspects”, “equity and equality”, and “cost(-effectiveness)”.DiscussionThis scoping review provides a broad overview of existing quality assessment and assurance systems. Many of the tools included cover only a few dimensions and aspects and therefore do not allow for a comprehensive quality assessment or quality assurance. Our findings can contribute to the development of continuous quality assessment and assurance systems for mHealth apps.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.researchprotocols.org/2022/7/e36974/, International Registered Report Identifier, IRRID (DERR1-10.2196/36974)

Channels of distribution in the fashion industry

Diese Arbeit behandelt die verschiedenen Distributionswege in der Modebranche unter Einbezug der Forschungsfrage, inwieweit sich die Digitalisierung in diesem Bereich etabliert hat und welche Chancen es für den stationären Handel gibt. Neben dem Branding wird auf den Aspekt der identitätsbasierten Markenführung und den damit verbundenen Instrumenten eingegangen. Unter Berücksichtigung des digitalen Zeitalters werden Mög-lichkeiten und Konflikte innovativer Vertriebsansätze, sowie deren Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten aufgezeigt. Anschließend wird die Theorie anhand eines Praxisbeispiels veranschaulicht. Im Anschluss werden Erfolgsfaktoren und Handlungsempfehlungen für den Vertrieb von morgen dargelegt und erläutert

Die Abbildung der Therapie mit Naturheilmitteln in der ärztlichen Aus- und Weiterbildung sowie in der Versorgungspraxis

Ein Teil der Ärzteschaft, sei es in der ambulanten oder stationären Versorgung, wendet Therapieansätze mit Naturheilmitteln an; genauere Daten darüber existieren jedoch nicht. Neben der Ausgestaltung des Leistungskatalogs der Gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung dürfte auch die Relevanz entsprechender Therapien in der ärztlichen Aus- und Weiterbildung einen wesentlichen Einfluss ausüben. "Therapien mit Naturheilmitteln" werden aktuell sowohl populär- als auch fachwissenschaftlich stark diskutiert, häufig im Zusammenhang mit Nebenwirkungen und Evidenzlage. Es fehlt bisher ein umfassender Überblick darüber, ob und inwieweit Therapieansätze von "Therapien mit Naturheilmittel" im Rahmen der ärztlichen Aus- und Weiterbildung, vermittelt werden und welchen Stellenwert diese in der ambulanten ärztlichen Versorgung einnehmen. Im Rahmen der Studie wurde die Relevanz von "Therapien mit Naturheilverfahren" sowohl in der medizinischen Aus- als auch Weiterbildung untersucht. Darüber hinaus wurde eine Befragung von Fachärzten durchgeführt, um eine aktuelle Einschätzung der Bedeutung von Therapien mit Naturheilverfahren in der ärztlichen Versorgungspraxis zu erhalten. Zu diesem Zweck wurden zunächst die rechtlichen Grundlagen im Bereich der Aus- und Weiterbildung dargestellt und im Hinblick auf "Therapien mit Naturheilmitteln" untersucht. Für die detaillierten Lehrinhalte im Medizinstudium wurde sowohl der jeweilige Internetauftritt der Universitäten analysiert als auch ergänzend Vertreter der Universitäten befragt. Um die derzeitige, konkrete Situation in der ärztlichen Versorgungspraxis zu untersuchen, wurde ein Fragebogen entwickelt, der Inhalte zu Weiterbildungsstatus und persönlicher Einschätzung zu "Therapien mit Naturheilmitteln" beinhaltete. Die Befragung wurde durch das Meinungsforschungsinstitut KANTAR durchgeführt

A late Eocene palynological record of climate change and Tibetan Plateau uplift (Xining Basin, China)

Climate models suggest that Asian paleoenvironments, monsoons and continental aridification were primarily governed by tectonic uplift and sea retreat since the Eocene with potential contribution of global climate changes: However, the cause and timing of these paleoenvironmental changes remain poorly constrained. The recently well-dated continental mudflat to ephemeral saline lake sedimentary succession, situated in the Xining Basin at the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau (NW China), provides a unique opportunity to develop additional proxy successions in this area that are placed accurately in time. Here, a palynological record from this succession is reported. High abundances of desert and steppe-desert taxa such as Ephedripites and Nitrariadites/Nitraripollis are found, which can be differentiated by the presence of broad leaved deciduous forest taxa in the lower part of the section (particularly up to 36.4 Ma; magnetochron C16r), and a sudden increase of Pinaceae (Pinuspollenites, Piceaepollenites and Abiespollenites) which is dated at 36.1 Ma (C16n.2n). Coexistence Approach (CoA) indicates that from 39.9 to 36.4 Ma (C17n.1n) regional climate was warm and wet, while from 36.4 to 33.5 Ma (C16n.2n-C13r) climate tends to be cooler and drier. The data indicate that paleoenvironmental and palynological changes on the NE part of the Tibetan Plateau resulted from a combination of long-term tectonic uplift forcing and long- and short-term climate changes. The increase of taxa such as Piceaepollenites and Abiespollenites indicates not only a cooling and drying trend prior to the Eocene/Oligocene (E/O) boundary, but also the existence of high altitude mountain habitats in the periphery of the Xining Basin. The sudden Pinaceae event correlates closely in time with a marked aridification step as viewed from the lithology of the Xining Basin that was linked to the sea retreat out of the Tarim Basin. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Geography, PhysicalGeosciences, MultidisciplinaryPaleontologySCI(E)0ARTICLE16-3834

Problems and Barriers Related to the Use of Digital Health Applications: Protocol for a Scoping Review

BackgroundThe use of mobile health (mHealth) apps is increasing rapidly worldwide. More and more institutions and organizations develop regulations and guidelines to enable an evidence-based and safe use. In Germany, mHealth apps fulfilling predefined criteria (Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen [DiGA]) can be prescribed and are reimbursable by the German statutory health insurance scheme. Due to the increasing distribution of DiGA, problems and barriers should receive special attention. ObjectiveThis study aims to identify the relevant problems and barriers related to the use of mHealth apps fulfilling the criteria of DiGA. MethodsThis scoping review will follow published methodological frameworks and the PRISMA-Scr (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) criteria. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and JMIR), reference lists of relevant articles, and grey literature sources will be searched. Two reviewers will assess the eligibility of the articles by a two-stage (title and abstract as well as full text) screening process. Only problems and barriers related to mHealth apps fulfilling the criteria of DiGA are included for this research. The identified studies will be categorized and analyzed with MAXQDA. ResultsThis scoping review gives an overview of the available evidence and identifies research gaps regarding problems and barriers related to DiGA. The results are planned to be submitted to an indexed, peer-reviewed journal in the first quarter of 2022. ConclusionsThis is the first review to identify the problems and barriers related to the use of mHealth apps fulfilling the German definition of DiGA. Nevertheless, the findings can be applied to other contexts and health care systems as well. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/3270

Problems and Barriers Related to the Use of Digital Health Applications: Scoping Review

BackgroundThe digitization of health care led to a steady increase in the adoption and use of mobile health (mHealth) apps. Germany is the first country in the world to cover the costs of mHealth apps through statutory health insurance. Although the benefits of mHealth apps are discussed in detail, aspects of problems and barriers are rarely studied. ObjectiveThis scoping review aimed to map and categorize the evidence on problems and barriers related to the use of mHealth apps. MethodsSystematic searches were conducted in the MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO databases. Additional searches were conducted on JMIR Publications and on websites of relevant international organizations. The inclusion criteria were publications dealing with apps similar to those approved in the German health care system, publications addressing problems and barriers related to the use of mHealth apps, and articles published between January 1, 2015, and June 8, 2021. Study selection was performed by 2 reviewers. The manuscript was drafted according to the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist. The analysis of the included publications and categorization of problems and hurdles were performed using MAXQDA (VERBI Software GmbH). ResultsThe database search identified 1479 publications. Of the 1479 publications, 21 (1.42%) met the inclusion criteria. A further 8 publications were included from citation searching and searching in JMIR Publications. The identified publications were analyzed for problems and barriers. Problems and barriers were classified into 10 categories (“validity,” “usability,” “technology,” “use and adherence,” “data privacy and security,” “patient-physician relationship,” “knowledge and skills,” “individuality,” “implementation,” and “costs”). The most frequently mentioned categories were use and adherence (eg, incorporating the app into daily life or dropouts from use; n=22) and usability (eg, ease of use and design; n=19). ConclusionsThe search identified various problems and barriers in the context of mHealth apps. Although problems at the app level (such as usability) are studied frequently, problems at the system level are addressed rather vaguely. To ensure optimal use of and care with mHealth apps, it is essential to consider all types of problems and barriers. Therefore, researchers and policy makers should have a special focus on this issue to identify the needs for quality assurance. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.2196/3270

Steppe development on the Northern Tibetan Plateau inferred from Paleogene ephedroid pollen

Steppe vegetation represents a key marker of past Asian aridification and is associated with monsoonal intensification. Little is, however, known about the origin of this pre-Oligocene vegetation, its specific composition and how it changed over time and responded to climatic variations. Here, we describe the morphological characters of Ephedraceae pollen in Eocene strata of the Xining Basin and compare the pollen composition with the palynological composition of Late Cretaceous and Paleocene deposits of the Xining Basin and the Quaternary deposits of the Qaidam Basin. We find that the Late Cretaceous steppe was dominated by Gnetaceaepollenites; in the transition from the Cretaceous to the Paleocene, Gnetaceaepollenites became extinct and Ephedripites subgenus Ephedripites dominated the flora with rare occurrences of Ephedripites subgen. Distachyapites; the middle to late Eocene presents a strong increase of Ephedripites subgen. Distachyapites; and the Quaternary/Recent is marked by a significantly lower diversity of Ephedraceae (and Nitrariaceae) compared to the Eocene. In the modern landscape of China, only a fraction of the Paleogene species diversity of Ephedraceae remains and we propose that these alterations in Ephedreaceae composition occurred in response to the climatic changes at least since the Eocene. In particular, the strong Eocene monsoons that enhanced the continental aridification may have played an important role in the evolution of Ephedripites subgen. Distachyapites triggering an evolutionary shift to wind-pollination in this group. Conceivably, the Ephedraceae/Nitrariaceae dominated steppe ended during the Eocene/Oligocene climatic cooling and aridification, which favoured other plant taxa

Loess-Like Dust Appearance at 40 Ma in Central China

Asian mineral dust has been studied extensively for its role in affecting regional-to global-scale climate and for its deposits, which enable reconstructing Asian atmospheric circulation in the past. However, the timing and origin of the dust deposits remain debated. Numerous loess records have been reported across the Asian continent with ages varying from the Miocene to the Eocene and linked to various mechanisms including global cooling, Tibetan Plateau uplift and retreat of the inland proto-Paratethys Sea. Here, we study the Eocene terrestrial mudrocks of the Xining Basin in central China and use nonparametric end-member analysis of grain-size distributions to identify a loess-like dust component appearing in the record at 40 Ma. This is coeval with the onset of high-latitude orbital cycles and a shift to predominant steppe-desert vegetation as recognized by previous studies in the same record. Furthermore, we derive wind directions from eolian dune deposits which suggest northwesterly winds, similar to the modern-day winter monsoon which is driven by a high pressure system developing over Siberia. We propose that the observed shifts at 40 Ma reflect the onset of the Siberian High interacting with westerly derived moisture at obliquity timescales and promoting dust storms and aridification in central China. The timing suggests that the onset may have been triggered by increased continentality due to the retreating proto-Paratethys Sea.Applied Geolog

Loess‐Like Dust Appearance at 40 Ma in Central China

International audienceAsian mineral dust has been studied extensively for its role in affecting regional-to global-scale climate and for its deposits, which enable reconstructing Asian atmospheric circulation in the past. However, the timing and origin of the dust deposits remain debated. Numerous loess records have been reported across the Asian continent with ages varying from the Miocene to the Eocene and linked to various mechanisms including global cooling, Tibetan Plateau uplift and retreat of the inland proto-Paratethys Sea. Here, we study the Eocene terrestrial mudrocks of the Xining Basin in central China and use nonparametric end-member analysis of grain-size distributions to identify a loess-like dust component appearing in the record at 40 Ma. This is coeval with the onset of high-latitude orbital cycles and a shift to predominant steppe-desert vegetation as recognized by previous studies in the same record. Furthermore, we derive wind directions from eolian dune deposits which suggest northwesterly winds, similar to the modern-day winter monsoon which is driven by a high pressure system developing over Siberia. We propose that the observed shifts at 40 Ma reflect the onset of the Siberian High interacting with westerly derived moisture at obliquity timescales and promoting dust storms and aridification in central China. The timing suggests that the onset may have been triggered by increased continentality due to the retreating proto-Paratethys Se