A Framework for Integrating Multicultural Issues in Mobile Health Apps Design

Mobile health applications have been found to facilitate earlier and more effective intervention of both physical and mental illness. The applications offer unique opportunities for monitoring progress, providing education materials, receiving personalized prompts and support, collecting ecologically valid data, and using self-management interventions when and where they are needed. Mobile Health will help doctors to reach out effectively to minority populations and remote areas where healthcare is seriously or even totally lacking. From a cultural perspective, culturally sensitive ethical principles are needed to safeguard privacy between patient and family members. Many mobile health apps are available now and there is gap between multicultural and privacy issues. There are few research papers to discuss the multicultural issues in mobile health. This project is attempting to analyze the factors of mental health apps in a multicultural perspective and to give guideline of designing each app with considering cultural factors.