Designing an evidence-based mHealth app through human-centred approaches

Healthcare innovations using smartphones or mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) have inspired modern health care, leading to increased development and adoption of mHealth apps among healthcare providers, patients and carers. Developing mHealth apps is a multidisciplinary process involving researchers, target users, healthcare providers and technology experts. Designing an evidence-based, user-acceptable mHealth app is a complex process that requires appropriate methodologies; for example, participatory designs, user-centric designs and co-designing. Given the complexity of mHealth design approaches, novice researchers may face difficulties in planning the mHealth app development process. Moreover, the ethical and legal frameworks for developing mHealth apps are critical yet under-represented in scholarly discussions. However, protecting the target users’ confidentiality, privacy and security is vital. This discussion aims to highlight commonly used mHealth app design approaches, their key elements and legal implications. Incorporating legal experts in developing mHealth apps can be a positive step for existing co-designing ideologies. We suggest strengthening ethical and legal standards and regulatory laws concerning mHealth apps at both national and international levels to ensure user privacy, data security and quality of care. Moreover, authorities should establish robust mechanisms to monitor and enforce the legal standards in app development, ensuring target users’ rights and privacy. The insights gained from this discussion would guide future researchers, fostering more innovation in mHealth app design.