Open AccessImpact of mobile health and medical applications on clinical practice in gastroenterology
Author(s) -
Sven Kernebeck,
Theresa Sophie Busse,
Maximilian David Böttcher,
Jürgen Weitz,
Jan P. Ehlers,
Ulrich Bork
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v26.i29.4182
Subject(s) - medicine , health care , digital health , psychological intervention , pandemic , clinical practice , mhealth , covid-19 , family medicine , disease , political science , nursing , law , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Mobile health apps (MHAs) and medical apps (MAs) are becoming increasingly popular as digital interventions in a wide range of health-related applications in almost all sectors of healthcare. The surge in demand for digital medical solutions has been accelerated by the need for new diagnostic and therapeutic methods in the current coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. This also applies to clinical practice in gastroenterology, which has, in many respects, undergone a recent digital transformation with numerous consequences that will impact patients and health care professionals in the near future. MHAs and MAs are considered to have great potential, especially for chronic diseases, as they can support the self-management of patients in many ways. Despite the great potential associated with the application of MHAs and MAs in gastroenterology and health care in general, there are numerous challenges to be met in the future, including both the ethical and legal aspects of applying this technology. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the current status of MHA and MA use in the field of gastroenterology, describe the future perspectives in this field and point out some of the challenges that need to be addressed.