title: Quality assessment of a sample of mobile app-based health behavior change interventions using a tool based on the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence behavior change guidance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quality assess a sample of health behavior change apps from the NHS Apps Library using a rating tool based on the 2014 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence behavior change guidance (NICE BCG).
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative analysis of the NICE BCG identified themes and questions for a quality assessment of health behavior change apps. These were refined by further discussion and piloting, and applied by two independent raters to a sample of NHS Library apps (N=49). Disagreements were resolved following discussions with a third rater.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Themes identified were; purpose, planning, usability, tailoring, behavior change technique (BCT), maintenance, evaluation, data security and documentation. Overall, purpose of the apps was clear, but evidence for collaboration with users or professionals was lacking. Usability information was poor and tailoring disappointing. Most used recognized BCTs but paid less attention to behavior maintenance than initiation. Information on app evaluation and documentation was sparse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study furthers the work of the NHS Apps Library, adapting the NICE (2014) behavior change guidance for quality assessment of behavior change apps.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study helps lay the foundations for development of a quality assurance tool for mobile health apps aimed at health behavior change.
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Primary Medical Care, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. Electronic address: b.mcmillan@sheffield.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Primary Medical Care, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. Electronic address: ehickey1@sheffield.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Eamonn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK. Electronic address: m.patel@hud.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Mahendra G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Primary Medical Care, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. Electronic address: c.mitchell@sheffield.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D040421:Cell Phone; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D063731:Mobile Applications; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States
keywords: Behavior change; Health behavior; Mobile apps; Quality assessment; mHealth