Table 3.
Description of mobile phone app interventions.
| Author/year (condition) | Intervention purpose | Intervention description |
| Hammonds et al, 2015 (depression) [42] | Improve adherence to antidepressant medications among college students using mobile phone app reminders | Medication reminders through mobile phone app for 4 weeks |
| Entered prescribed information for medication doses | ||
| Patients indicate when they had taken their medication by responding to reminders received | ||
| Cafazzo et al, 2012 (diabetes mellitus) [35] | Improve self-management among youth (mobile phone app “ bant ”) | App exposure for 12-week pilot study |
| Adapter that allows a OneTouch UltraMini glucometer to communicate via Bluetooth, allowing the transfer of blood glucose reading wirelessly, to the iPhone device running the mobile phone app, “ bant ” | ||
| Analysis tools assess the data soon after transfer to give adolescents real-time feedback | ||
| Data analysis and trending screens display the percentage of blood glucose levels that are in range at specific times | ||
| Communication with peers in an app-secure community area as a support network | ||
| Rewards algorithm with point allocations | ||
| Creary et al, 2014 (sickle cell disease) [36] | Improve adherence to hydroxyurea (m-DOT, multidimensional strategy for 6 months) | |
| Alert reminders: automated daily alerts to remind patients to take hydroxyurea; alert sent at time preferred by patients; alerts stopped when a video is submitted; up to 4 text messages and email were sent daily | ||
| Videos: participants created daily videos of them taking hydroxyurea; videos submitted electronically to the secure study website; captured by mobile phones or computers; included participants’ study ID; self-recorded videos for children 12 years or older, younger patients had assistance from parents | ||
| Feedback: submitted videos were reviewed by research team within 72 hours of receipt; text and email feedback was sent to participants if they missed ≥2 video submissions in a 30-day period; participants were called if they missed ≥3 video submissions in a 30-day period; positive reinforcement (≥2 text messages or emails) was provided if they participants had adherence of ≥90% | ||
| Incentives: if participants achieved ≥90% of adherence to hydroxyurea for each 30-day period, they would receive $1/day |