Research team led by NTU Singapore finds information in a third of eczema apps inconsistent with international guidelines

A third of eczema management mobile applications provide information that does not agree with international treatment and condition guidelines, a study led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore has found.

While many of the apps studied came with features such as information on the available therapies and a disease tracking function, a team led by Associate Professor Josip Car from the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) at NTU Singapore found that none of them fulfilled the complete set of criteria for educational information, tracking functions or health information principles, as set out by international eczema management recommendations such as the Guidelines for the Management of Atopic Dermatitis in Singapore and the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

The study, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, highlights the need for mechanisms and guidelines to ensure app quality, and to guide personalised app selection for patients, caregivers and doctors.