Mobile applications for auditory verbal therapy: review of content and quality

Abstract

Background: The number of mobile health (mHealth) applications has been rapidly increasing recently (apps). Finding high-quality apps that are therapeutically beneficial is a challenge for health professionals and their families. We undertook a comprehensive search and evaluation of Auditory Verbal Therapy mobile apps. Also offered is an evidence-based strategy for locating appropriate apps in the Google Play and Apple app store. Objectives: This study mainly focused on assessing the quality appraisal of the mobile applications for auditory-verbal therapy. Methods: This study used the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews.” Between October 2021 and March 2022, we did a thorough scan of the Google Play and Apple app store app marketplaces. Results: A total of 1076 apps were found using eight predefined search criteria. After a thorough review, 39 apps were selected for further consideration. The Mobile Application Rating scale was used to assess them by two reviewers. None of them were very good. Six apps had good quality, 32 had mediocre quality, and three had bad or extremely poor quality. Conclusions: The rapid rise of mHealth emphasizes the importance of developing rigorous and efficient mechanisms for finding and retrieving apps, as well as evaluating their therapeutic effectiveness. Due to the difficulty in accessing auditory-verbal therapy services around the world, mHealth promises therapy benefits when apps are dependable, valid, and easy to find.