ON health applications privacy & effectiveness

[piero]

Hi ,

today I read on the economist at https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2022/05/01/apps-interpreting-data-from-wearable-devic...

that " Orcha has rated 7,000 health apps on three criteria: privacy, user experience and evidence that they work. Only about a quarter of them meet its quality threshold on all three. Mental-health apps are particularly weak"

Can Firefox coordinate a sort of open source information on this subject ?

This can be the start of medicine democratization and inclusion .

Firefox could start a newsletter as that on privacy that I distribute with very positive effects .

[KABEER]

Hi,

Thank you for sharing that insightful article from The Economist. It's indeed fascinating to see Orcha's evaluation of health apps and their criteria for assessing quality, especially in the realm of mental health apps. The fact that only a quarter of them meet the quality threshold on all three criteria underscores the need for greater scrutiny and transparency in this space.

Regarding your question about whether Firefox could coordinate an open-source initiative on this subject, it's an intriguing idea. Firefox has a strong ethos of privacy and user empowerment, making it a potential catalyst for democratizing information in the realm of health apps. By leveraging open-source principles, Firefox could indeed facilitate collaboration and information sharing among developers, researchers, and users to improve the quality and accessibility of health-related technologies.

Moreover, starting a newsletter akin to the one focused on privacy could be an effective way to disseminate valuable insights and updates in this field. Such a newsletter could serve as a platform for discussing not only privacy concerns but also the efficacy and reliability of health apps, thereby empowering users to make informed decisions about their digital health choices.

Your suggestion aligns well with the broader goal of democratizing medicine and promoting inclusivity in healthcare. Initiatives like these have the potential to bridge gaps in access to reliable health information and empower individuals to take control of their well-being.

On a related note, I noticed your link to Fitwell Hub's smart health kiosks. Integrating such technologies with the principles of privacy and evidence-based evaluation could further enhance their effectiveness and appeal to users. You can find more information about Fitwell Hub's smart health kiosks here.

Overall, your vision for leveraging Firefox's platform and initiating a newsletter to promote transparency and quality in health apps is commendable. It represents a step towards a future where digital health solutions are not only accessible but also trustworthy and effective.