Medical Apps in Oto-Rhino-Laryngology

Abstract

The implementation of mobile information and communication technology in the field of health services, e. g. in the form of apps, is becoming increasingly important. Unfortunately, the necessary quality criteria are often mising. Thus, it seems important, that in addition to an app controlling authority highly qualified health care professionals participate in the development of these applications. For reasons of liability, however, the physician must exercise great caution in the selection and recommendation of medical apps, especially considering, that only a few apps are certified as medical devices. There are a large number of medical apps on the market, with only a small proportion being assigned to the field of otorhinolaryngology. The areas of audiology, sleep medicine and allergology are most frequently represented. Althouhgh there is increasing scientific work on this topic in the field of otorhinolaryngology, there is a lack of scientific evidence of contents and results, as is generally the case of medical apps. However, there are other possibilities for users to rate medical apps regarding defined qualitiy criteria such as functionality, scientific integrity, but also data privacy. None of the apps assessed by such a evaluation tool met all the required quality criteria, but the applied instrument helped to better assess the application. However, it was possible to consider the quality criteria in the developmental process of an medical app for the field of otorhinolaryngoglogy. In summary, the present work provide a comprehensive insight into the topic "Apps in Otorhinolaryngology" with the aim to use these modern aids in a beneficial way.