Smartphone Health Apps Have High Dropout Rate

Smartphone apps are increasing in popularity and are being widely used in healthcare as health apps. Smartphone apps have a high rate of dropouts with 26 percent being used only once and 74 percent being discontinued by the tenth use. An online survey was conducted by Consumer Health Information Corporation (McLean, Va.) to gauge consumer interest in health apps and evaluate the likelihood of patient adherence to them. 79.9 percent of respondents preferred an app that would analyze the health information they were logging and provide personal feedback. For health apps to be successful patient adherence tools, they must be practical, easy-to-use and follow established evidence-based guidelines.

The CHIC survey, collected from 395 respondents, stems from a March 2011 consumer survey showing that 26 percent of apps are downloaded and used only once. Of the people who confirm using their apps, 74 percent drop out by the 10th use. The same survey, however, also shows that 26 percent of smartphone applications retain consumer loyalty and are used repeatedly.

The CHIC survey shows that the availability of a better app (34.4 percent) and lack of user friendliness (32.6 percent) are the top reasons for discontinuation of smartphone apps.