A Toolkit for Evaluating Mobile Health Applications

As a first step toward a formal rating system, David Bates, M.D., and his team will create a toolkit for evaluating
health apps and informing consumer decision‐making. The set of criteria they develop will encompass measures of
usability, safety, and evidence. The team will solicit feedback from a panel of experts and validate and refine the
metrics through testing. The researchers will also explore policy and implementation considerations for regulators
and rating groups.

This project will consider consumers’ needs and preferences in the development of app‐rating tools, adding an
unbiased perspective to a field crowded with vested interests. It will also provide guidance to app regulators and
developers