Can I Recommend this App? mHealth Recommendation Guidelines by Health Professional Governing Bodies in Canada

Mobile health (mHealth) applications have gained considerable popularity and have crossed into clinical practice as well. Users are turning to healthcare professionals for recommendations on mHealth solutions to help them achieve their desired health outcomes. However, healthcare professionals may not be in a position to answer this question, and their professional governing bodies have provided limited actionable guidance on this subject as well. We explore this issue by scanning Canadian health professional governing bodies for guidance on recommending mHealth solutions to patients. Initial results suggest there are five broadly defined forms of guidance: mention of mHealth, not to recommend, preapproving, criteria, and index. Furthermore, we argue that the information systems discipline is well-positioned to contribute to this area. We draw on parallels between information systems design principles and clinical guidelines to suggest how design science research can support the development of guidance for healthcare professionals on mHealth app recommendations.