Mobile applications for ophthalmology: a quantitative and qualitative analysis.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Health Information Management, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 2Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
- 3Health Human Resources Research Center, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. [email protected].
- 4Clinical Education Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. [email protected].
- 5Department of Medical Informatics and Health Information Technology, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. [email protected].
Abstract
Objective
This study aimed to evaluate the quality of ophthalmology-related mobile health applications (mHealth apps) available in Persian and English across Android and iOS platforms.Method
A structured review of apps related to ophthalmology was conducted in four mobile app stores (Cafe Bazaar, Google Play, App Store, Myket) from July 31 to August 15, 2024, using relevant English and Persian keywords. The quality of selected apps was independently assessed by three reviewers using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Clinical evidence was also searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar.Result
Out of 4,968 ophthalmology-related apps initially identified, 37 apps met the inclusion criteria for final quality assessment-4 in Persian and 33 in English. According to the MARS scale, the Functionality domain had the highest average score (4.24), followed by Aesthetics (3.70), Engagement (3.22), and Information (3.13). Clinical effectiveness evidence was found for the "WHO eyes" app. The Persian app "چشم یار" achieved the highest average score of 4.42, and the English app "Eye Patient" received the highest average score of 4.83.Conclusion
This study demonstrates that the quality of ophthalmology-related apps meets acceptable criteria according to the MARS scale; however, user engagement and the quality of the information provided remain suboptimal. These results highlight the need for improving interactive features, motivational design elements, and evidence-based educational content to enhance the overall effectiveness of ophthalmology-related mHealth apps.
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BibTeX
@article{faramarzi2026mobile,
title = {{Mobile applications for ophthalmology: a quantitative and qualitative analysis.}},
author = {Shahla Faramarzi and Kosar Ghaddaripouri and Parmida Sanaei and Zahra Zare and Azita Yazdani},
journal = {BMC health services research},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12913-026-15199-2},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42897552},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mobile applications for ophthalmology: a quantitative and qualitative analysis.
AU - Shahla Faramarzi
AU - Kosar Ghaddaripouri
AU - Parmida Sanaei
AU - Zahra Zare
AU - Azita Yazdani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC health services research
DO - 10.1186/s12913-026-15199-2
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42897552
AB - Objective This study aimed to evaluate the quality of ophthalmology-related mobile health applications (mHealth apps) available in Persian and English across Android and iOS platforms.Method A structured review of apps related to ophthalmology was conducted in four mobile app stores (Cafe Bazaar, Google Play, App Store, Myket) from July 31 to August 15, 2024, using relevant English and Persian keywords. The quality of selected apps was independently assessed by three reviewers using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Clinical evidence was also searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar.Result Out of 4,968 ophthalmology-related apps initially identified, 37 apps met the inclusion criteria for final quality assessment-4 in Persian and 33 in English. According to the MARS scale, the Functionality domain had the highest average score (4.24), followed by Aesthetics (3.70), Engagement (3.22), and Information (3.13). Clinical effectiveness evidence was found for the "WHO eyes" app. The Persian app "چشم یار" achieved the highest average score of 4.42, and the English app "Eye Patient" received the highest average score of 4.83.Conclusion This study demonstrates that the quality of ophthalmology-related apps meets acceptable criteria according to the MARS scale; however, user engagement and the quality of the information provided remain suboptimal. These results highlight the need for improving interactive features, motivational design elements, and evidence-based educational content to enhance the overall effectiveness of ophthalmology-related mHealth apps.
SN - 1472-6963
ER -