Stoyanov SR, Hides L, Kavanagh DJ, Zelenko O, Tjondronegoro D, Mani M. (2015). Mobile app rating scale: A new tool for assessing the quality of health mobile apps. JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth, 3(1), e27. PMCID: PMC4376132.
Despite the growing popularity of mobile applications for mental health, it remains difficult to effectively assess the quality of these applications. Therefore, the authors created a multidimensional scale for classifying and rating the quality of these mobile apps. The Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) was developed after conducting a literature search and classifying previous attempts at rating app quality. Ultimately, the MARS contained 23 individual items to rate applications on six specific subscales: 1) App classification; 2) User engagement; 3) Function; 4) Aesthetics; 5) Information quality; and 6) Subjective app quality. These subscales also yield a total MARS rating score. After testing the rating scale on 50 mobile apps, results showed that the MARS had excellent internal consistency and inter-rater reliability. Additionally, there was a moderate correlation between the MARS total score and iTunes star ratings. These findings support the validity and reliability of the MARS.