Smartphone technology and its applications in urology: a review of the literature
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TOPIC PAPER
Smartphone technology and its applications in urology: a review of the literature Shlomi Tapiero1 · Renai Yoon1 · Francis Jefferson1 · John Sung1 · Luke Limfueco1 · Courtney Cottone1 · Sherry Lu1 · Roshan M. Patel1 · Jaime Landman1 · Ralph V. Clayman1 Received: 18 June 2019 / Accepted: 13 September 2019 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2019
Abstract Purpose Smartphone technology has propelled the evolution of health-related mobile technology, referred to as mobile health (mHealth). With the rise of smartphone ownership and the growing popularity of health-related smartphone usage, mHealth offers potential benefits for both patients and health care providers. The objective of this review is to assess the current state of smartphone technology in urology. Methods A literature search of PubMed database was conducted to identify articles reporting on smartphone technology in urology. Publications were included if they focused on smartphone mHealth technology pertinent to the field of urology or included an evaluation of urological applications in digital stores. Results We identified 50 publications focused on the use of smartphones in urology. Studies were then grouped into the following categories: smartphones employing the built-in camera and light source, applications specific to prostate cancer, urolithiasis, pediatric urology, and as educational tools for urologists. In 23/50 (46%) studies, smartphone technology/intervention was compared to a control group or to standard of care. In this regard, smartphone technology did not demonstrate benefit over standard of care in 13 studies. In contrast, in 10 studies, smartphone interventions were proven beneficial over current practice. Conclusions Smartphone technology is constantly evolving and has the potential to improve urological care and education. Of concern to consumer and urologist alike is that these downloadable programs are limited due to the accuracy of their content, risk of confidentiality breach, and the lack of central regulation and professional involvement in their development. Keywords Smartphone · Applications · Mobile health · Prostate cancer · Urolithiasis · Pediatric urology
Introduction The World Health Organization defines mHealth (mobile health) as medical and public health practice supported by mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices [1]. Smartphones are cellular telephones with advanced features such as built-in camera capability, Internet connectivity, Web browsing, high-resolution touch screen interface, and an operating system capable of running downloaded software. These devices facilitate mHealth technology via either utilization of device-based functions (e.g., camera, text message) or downloaded software and provide * Roshan M. Patel [email protected] 1
Department of Urology, University of California, Irvine, USA
low-cost, easily accessible, means of support to health care consumers. Mobile application (app) is a software developed specifically to run on a mobile
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