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Artificial Intelligence in Health Optimized clustering in medical app detection

survey by Accenture Consultants revealed that downloads on accessed data. Some of these mobile apps are presented
of health-care apps have doubled over the past couple of in Table 1.
years. As of early 2020, the Apple App Store had 2.2 million
apps available for download, whereas the Google Play 3.2. Risk of using medical apps
Store had 2.8 million apps available. Interestingly, among While medical apps provide numerous benefits, their use
them, there are more than 97,000 health and fitness apps involves significant risk factors, leading many medical
available for download on mobile or tablet devices. In practitioners to remain reluctant about adopting them.
recent times, the health-care setting has undergone drastic Mobile medical apps used in health-care settings must be
positive changes due to the rapid rise of health-care apps accurate and reliable, as critical decisions by HCPs and
on mobile devices. The adoption of mobile devices by patients are often based on the information from these
health-care professionals (HCPs) has transformed many apps. Several medical apps have been found to compromise
facets of clinical practice. Health-care apps have been the patient safety, proving dangerous for clinical use. For
vital forerunner for surpassing and backing the condition instance, apps designed for opioid dosage conversion
of the health-care trade. Medical health-care apps provide or melanoma detection have shown dangerously low
many benefits for HCPs, such as increased access to point- accuracy, 14,15 whereas several other health-care apps fail to
of-care tools that enhance patient care and facilitate rapid adhere to evidence-based guidelines. 16,17
and precise clinical decision-making. Today, numerous These risks underscore the need for increased regulation
apps are available to assist HCPs with important tasks, before medical apps are used in clinical practice. 18-20 For
such as accessing, retrieving, monitoring, and managing instance, the ArogyaSetu app was developed in India during
patient data; maintaining records; communicating the COVID-19 pandemic to spread awareness and connect
with patients; facilitating clinical decision-making; and people in India with essential COVID-19-related health
providing medical training and education. Thus, these services. The app collected user location data and cross-
mobile apps enable doctors, nurses, and other health- referenced it with the Indian Council of Medical Research
care workers to communicate easily with patients and database to alert users about close proximity to infected
access necessary data. It can also simplify coordination individuals. However, Indian security officials identified
between departments, labs, and staff, irrespective of their that hackers had developed a fake ArogyaSetu app to steal
physical location. Doctors can communicate directly information, targeting Indian defense forces. These hackers
with patients, make informed decisions on diagnoses and impersonated the Indian government, sending emails
treatments, and promptly prescribe medications. Health- containing malware to victims. The malware included
care apps contribute to improved health outcomes through bogus health advisories on coronavirus, which, when
customization, increased access to health-care, secure and clicked, allowed hackers to access sensitive information
streamlined clinical communication between providers such as passwords, credit card information, and location
and patients, cost reduction, time savings, 24/7 service data from users’ browsers without their knowledge. Thus,
availability, and improved hospital workflow management contact lists or any other sensitive information stored on
(Figure 1). the device could be accessed by hostile hackers.
The present-day mobile health-care apps include People seeking information about diabetes and
interoperable platforms, secure bi-directional other conditions could be at risk of having their private
communication, and patient-provider interactivity based information stolen and their privacy invaded by cyber

Figure 1. Picturization of mobile apps and their interactions

Volume 1 Issue 4 (2024) 19 doi: 10.36922/aih.2585