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Apps as Artefacts: Towards a Critical Perspective on Mobile Health and Medical Apps

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  • Deborah Lupton

    (News & Media Research Centre, Faculty of Arts & Design, University of Canberra, Building 9, Bruce ACT 2601, Australia)

Abstract

Although over 100,000 health and medical mobile apps have been placed on the market, few critical social analyses have been yet undertaken of the role of these apps in healthcare, preventive health and health promotion. In this article I present an argument for approaching the study of mobile apps as sociocultural artefacts, focusing specifically on those that have been developed on health and medical topics. This perspective acknowledges that apps are digital objects that are the products of human decision-making, underpinned by tacit assumptions, norms and discourses already circulating in the social and cultural contexts in which they are generated, marketed and used. First, I provide the context, by discussing the gradual digitisation of health and medical information since the advent of the Internet and the emergence of health and medical apps as one of the latest developments. Second, I discuss how a critical perspective may be employed to analyse the social, cultural and political dimensions of health and medical apps. Finally I illustrate how such an approach may be applied by giving a case study of an analysis of the top 10 ranked health and medical apps on the Apple App Store on one day, outlining some major themes and discourses that emerge.

Suggested Citation

  • Deborah Lupton, 2014. "Apps as Artefacts: Towards a Critical Perspective on Mobile Health and Medical Apps," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-17, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:4:y:2014:i:4:p:606-622:d:41772
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Minna Ruckenstein, 2014. "Visualized and Interacted Life: Personal Analytics and Engagements with Data Doubles," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-17, February.
    2. Emma Rich & Andy Miah, 2014. "Understanding Digital Health as Public Pedagogy: A Critical Framework," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-20, June.
    3. Collette Sosnowy, 2014. "Practicing Patienthood Online: Social Media, Chronic Illness, and Lay Expertise," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-14, June.
    4. Chris Till, 2014. "Exercise as Labour: Quantified Self and the Transformation of Exercise into Labour," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-17, August.
    5. Sophia Alice Johnson, 2014. "“Maternal Devices”, Social Media and the Self-Management of Pregnancy, Mothering and Child Health," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-21, June.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Simone Fullagar & Emma Rich & Jessica Francombe-Webb & Antonio Maturo, 2017. "Digital Ecologies of Youth Mental Health: Apps, Therapeutic Publics and Pedagogy as Affective Arrangements," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-14, November.
    3. Aksel Tjora & Lisbeth Elvira Levang Løvik & Frank Hauboff Hansen & Marianne Skaar, 2021. "Shameful Technological Impertinence: Consumer Ambivalence among iPad Early-Buyers," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-16, July.
    4. Petrakaki, Dimitra & Hilberg, Eva & Waring, Justin, 2018. "Between empowerment and self-discipline: Governing patients' conduct through technological self-care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 146-153.
    5. Shih, Patti & Prokopovich, Kathleen & Degeling, Chris & Street, Jacqueline & Carter, Stacy M., 2022. "Direct-to-consumer detection of atrial fibrillation in a smartwatch electrocardiogram: Medical overuse, medicalisation and the experience of consumers," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 303(C).
    6. Margaret Machniak Sommervold & Maja Van der Velden, 2017. "Visions of Illness, Disease, and Sickness in Mobile Health Applications," Societies, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-18, October.
    7. Simone Fullagar & Emma Rich & Jessica Francombe-Webb, 2017. "New Kinds of (Ab)normal?: Public Pedagogies, Affect, and Youth Mental Health in the Digital Age," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-12, August.
    8. Lupton, Deborah & Jutel, Annemarie, 2015. "‘It's like having a physician in your pocket!’ A critical analysis of self-diagnosis smartphone apps," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 128-135.
    9. Yaltafit Abror Jeem & Russy Novita Andriani & Refa Nabila & Dwi Ditha Emelia & Lutfan Lazuardi & Hari Koesnanto, 2022. "The Use of Mobile Health Interventions for Outcomes among Middle-Aged and Elderly Patients with Prediabetes: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-33, October.

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