U.S. study finds most mHealth apps for diabetes care aren't supported by reliable evidence

A report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) finds very few of the hundreds of mHealth apps on the market for diabetes care management have been researched. AHRQ discovered just 11 of 280 commercially available mobile health apps for diabetes care management were found to be supported by research, and only five have been shown to be effective in reducing HbA1C levels. The results highlight that relatively few apps available through app stores have any evidence of efficacy. The AHRQ is calling for more research to vet these apps before they become available and calls for the creation of a registry that tracks apps’ privacy policies and interactions with medical records.