Health App Downloads Soar, But Do They Work?

Despite the popularity of health applications, or "apps," for mobile phones, there has been little research on how well apps work, or if they comply with known public health guidelines on how to change people's behaviors. Text-messaging programs that send people reminders about health habits have proven useful in helping people quit smoking, says Lorien Abroms, Sc.D., assistant professor of Prevention and Community Health in the School of Public Health and Health Services.