Recent studies, many of which were conducted on open-source software frameworks like Apple’s ResearchKit, found collecting research data via smartphone lends itself to recruiting large numbers of participants from a breadth of locations and demographics.
“Researchers have long worried that clinical studies in general are skewed because most are limited to areas around research hospitals, so the study group isn’t a representative cross-section of the population,” Mr. Wallace wrote.
Mr. Wallace also emphasized how self-reported research data isn’t always trustworthy, since participants may misremember or lie about health issues — for example, how much they typically exercise. “The smartphone, on the other hand, can track activity and other health-related data passively and dispassionately,” he wrote.
Although academic research may take years to publish, Mr. Wallace highlighted how physicians and researchers recruiting participants through smartphone apps may be able to provide study participants with more immediate feedback about their health and the population’s, Mr. Wallace wrote.
However, there are some drawbacks to this research method. For example, while smartphone-based studies may garner many more participants than traditional studies, participants often drop out, according to Mr. Wallace. Euan Ashley, a researcher at Stanford (Calif.) University who worked on an mHealth cardiovascular study, told Mr. Wallace this focus on retention is an area for improvement in smartphone-based research.
“The bar for entry in these studies is very low,” he told Mr. Wallace. “So there is less adherence than in a clinical setting.”
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