AGE-WELL Conference 2019-Technical NotesHealth App Review Tool: Matchingmobile apps to Alzheimer’spopulations (HART Match)Julie Faieta1,2,3, Brittany N Hand4, Mark Schmeler5,James Onate4and Carmen Digiovine4,6,7,8AbstractAim: This brief report provides an overview of the development and structure of the Health App Review Tool.Methods: The Health App Review Tool has been designed to assess smart phone health apps according to theircompatibility to individuals within the Alzheimer’s disease community. Specifically, app features and functions are char-acterized according to their appropriateness to the needs, abilities, and preferences of potential users. The Health AppReview Tool is comprised of two components, the App and User Assessment; each component includes four comple-mentary domains. Items in these domains can be compared between App and User assessments using a scoring key thatwill produce a match score. The score indicates the level of appropriateness in reference to the app’s ability to meet theuser’s needs.Discussion: The Health App Review Tool was designed using available evidence and stakeholder preference data toensure a user-centered design. The result was the development of a tool built on evidence and informed by theperceptions and preferences of those within and working with the Alzheimer’s disease population. App and Userdomains include usefulness, complexity, accessibility, and external variables. This unique matching approach is anticipatedto significantly impact individualized, client-centered care. We anticipate that this study will serve as a model for futuredevelopment of technology matching tools for other diagnostic populations.Discussion: The Health App Review Tool was designed using available evidence and stakeholder preference data toensure a user-centered design. The result was the development of a tool built on evidence and informed by theperceptions and preferences of those within and working with the Alzheimer’s disease population. App and Userdomains include usefulness, complexity, accessibility, and external variables. This unique matching approach is anticipatedto significantly impact individualized, client-centered care. We anticipate that this study will serve as a model for futuredevelopment of technology matching tools for other diagnostic populations.KeywordsAlzheimer’s disease, assistive technology, technology assessment, mobile applications, smartphoneDate received: 27 February 2020; accepted: 28 May 20201Department of Rehabilitation, Universite Laval2Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en readaptation et en integrationsociale (CIRRIS)3Centre integre universitaire de sante et de services sociaux de laCapitale-Nationale (CIUSSS-CN)4School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University,Columbus, USA5School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh,Pittsburgh, USA6Assistive Technology Center, The Ohio State University WexnerMedical Center, Columbus, USA7Occupational Therapy Division, The Ohio State University, Columbus,USA8Biomedical Engineering Department, The Ohio State University,Columbus, USACorresponding author:Julie Faieta, 525, Wilfrid-Hamel Blvd., Room H-1300, Quebec City,Quebec G1M 2S8, Canada.Email: [email protected] of Rehabilitation and AssistiveTechnologies EngineeringVolume 7: 1–4! The Author(s) 2020Article reuse guidelines:sagepub.com/journals-permissionsDOI: 10.1177/2055668320938604journals.sagepub.com/home/jrtCreative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and dis-tribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).IntroductionAlzheimer’s disease (AD) continues to grow devastating-ly pervasive among the older adult population, with aprojected prevalence of 13.8 million in the United Statesby 2050.1Those living with AD typically present with amyriad of symptoms such as memory loss, functionaldecline, changes in behavior, and communication abili-ties. Assistance and support provided through informalcaregivers (unpaid caregivers, often family members) isoften required as AD progresses, and the symptomsassociated with the disease grow more pronounced.Even with the support of an informal caregiver, the phys-ical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms of AD can bechallenging to manage. Day-to-day lifestyle variables canchange or decline as AD progresses, eventually negatingone’s ability to care for themselves. Basic activities ofdaily living, when altered or impaired can be very dis-ruptive to the life of a caregiver and detrimental to thehealth of an individual with AD. For example, sleepdisturbances have been reported as common and associ-ated with distress in both the individual with AD andtheir caregiver.2The ancillary effects of AD, impactingnot only the diagnosed individual but also negativelyimpacting health of the informal caregiver,3,4furtherhighlights the need for effective interventions to supporthealth and wellbeing in this population.Smart phones are increasingly ubiquitous, evenamong older demographics. These readily available, offthe shelf technologies may therefore serve as an optimalmethod of connecting AD caregivers to healthcarerecourses, specifically through smart phone applications(apps). Many apps provide users with health manage-ment support through various functions that guide theuser through lifestyle interventions or health mainte-nance practices. These might include reminders ofwhen to eat or take medica tion , calendar remind ers ofupcoming appointments, memory aids to assist users inaccurately following diet regimens, guided exercise rou-tines, or sleep hygiene schedules. Apps that support sleepmay monitor sleeps schedules, assist users in fallingasleep using sleeps stories, or remind a user to take asleep related medicat ion. Any of these functions couldbe highly beneficial to address the afore mentioned sleepdisturbances common in the AD population. However,each app—its functions, features, and usability—must beevaluated to assess whether or not it will be efficacious inaddressing the specific needs of individual people withAD. Currently available app and software