title: Mobile Phone Ownership and Endorsement of "mHealth" Among People With Psychosis: A Meta-analysis of Cross-sectional Studies.
abstract: There is currently growing interest in using mobile phones to support the treatment of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia. However, the widespread implementation of these interventions will ultimately depend upon patients' access to mobile devices and their willingness to engage with mobile health ("mHealth"). Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess mobile phone ownership and interest in mHealth among patients with psychosis. An electronic search of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, AMED, Health Technology Assessment Database, and Health Management Information Consortium Database was conducted, using search terms synonymous with mobile phones and psychotic disorders. The initial literature search yielded 2572 results. Fifteen studies matched eligibility criteria, reporting data from 12 independent samples of psychiatric patients (n = 3227). Data pertaining to mobile phone ownership, usage, and opinions on mHealth among patients with psychotic disorders were extracted from these studies, and meta-analytic techniques were applied. The overall mobile phone ownership rate was 66.4% (95% CI = 54.1%-77.6%). However, we found strong statistical evidence that mobile phone ownership has been significantly increasing since 2007, and the rate among patients surveyed in the last 2 years was 81.4% (n = 454). Furthermore, in surveys of mHealth acceptability, the majority of patients responded in favor of using mobile phones to enhance contact with services and support self-management. Considering the increasing availability of mobile phones and the broad acceptability of mHealth among patients, there is now a need to develop and evaluate mHealth interventions to enhance healthcare services for people with psychosis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; joseph.firth@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Firth
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK;
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cotter
authors.affiliation: Harvard Longwood Psychiatry Residency Training Program, Boston, MA; Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA;
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Torous
authors.affiliation: Centre for New Treatment and Understanding in Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK;
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK;
authors.forename: Josh A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Firth
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Psychosis Research Unit, Greater Manchester West NHS Mental Health Trust, Manchester, UK; Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Alison R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Yung
mesh_terms: D040421:Cell Phone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders; D017216:Telemedicine
keywords: cell phone; e-health; psychotic disorder; schizophrenia; smartphone; technology