Evaluation of Persian Coronavirus Apps Using MARS

The rapid growth of COVID-19 disease in recent days has led to the rapid development of mobile health applications.

This study aims to evaluate the quality of applications which provide information related to Coronavirus in Iran.

A systematic search has been conducted in Cafebazaar (Iranian app store) between May-October 2020. The Mobile Application Ranking Scale (MARS) is used to evaluate mobile applications and includes 23 items.

After limiting Apps to the criteria specified in the systematic search, 13 mobile applications were downloaded from Bazaar Cafe, which have been evaluated in terms of functionality, engagement, aesthetics, information, and subjectivity. In general, the Apps analyzed in this article are in poor condition in terms of quality. The highest rated app is Mask (2.69) and the lowest score is for Corona (Statistics, video, map) (1.47).

The findings of this study showed that coronavirus applications designed in Iran are not in a favorable position in terms of MARS indicators. The lowest average was related to the information indicator. This shows that there is no professionalism in designing applications and it is necessary to pay special attention to evidence-based information in designing self-care and prevention programs of COVID-19.