News
Smartphone mobile health (mHealth) apps have the potential to enhance access to health care services and address health care disparities, especially in low-resource settings. However, when developed without attention to equity and inclusivity, mHealth apps can also exacerbate health disparities. In their recent publication in the Journal of Medical and Internet Research (JMIR), authors Keerthi Dubbala, Ingrid Metzler and Prof. Giovanni Rubeis explored the metadata from mHealth apps in India. They compiled a comprehensive dataset of mHealth apps available in India with an initial focus on heart disease (HD)–related apps using natural language processing techniques. Explorative statistical analysis revealed the limited representation of India’s linguistic diversity within the health and medical app landscape, highlighted a scarcity of mHealth apps dedicated to heart diseases, along with a lower level of user engagement, as indicated by reviews and app ratings. The study revealed that while most Heart disease-related apps are financially accessible, uptake remains a challenge in India.
https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e53823
Dubbala, Keerthi, Roshan Prizak, Ingrid Metzler and Giovanni Rubeis. "Exploring Heart Disease–Related mHealth Apps in India: Systematic Search in App Stores and Metadata Analysis." Journal of Medical Internet Research 27 (2025): e53823.
In the recent publication by Keerthi Dubbala and Wanda Spahl, the authors explore the health perceptions and healthcare needs of people living in slums and rural areas in and around Bengaluru city in India. As part of a special issue in on the health and illness beliefs and experiences of minoritized groups Frontiers in Public Health, the article discusses insights from qualitative interviews and focus groups and formulates policy recommendations.
Available Open Access: Dubbala Keerthi, Wanda Spahl, Carolin Elizabeth George, and Luc de Witte. Perceptions of Health and Healthcare Needs in Low-Resource Settings: Qualitative Insights from Bengaluru's Urban Slum and Rural Areas Frontiers in Public Health 13: 1530256.
Farewell and new beginning in the department
On 31 March, we bid farewell to Prof. Dr. Giovanni Rubeis, who has headed our department with great dedication. He will take on new professional challenges at the University of Greifswald. We enjoyed working with him, will miss him both professionally and personally, and wish him all the best for his future endeavours.
At the same time, we are pleased that Mag. Dr. Ingrid Metzler will take over the interim management. We look forward to working with her and warmly welcome her in her new position as head of the department!
Top from left to right: Eleonore Kemetmüller, Ingrid Metzler, Mara Köhler, Claudia Schwarz
Bottom from left to right: Wanda Spahl, Julia Aschauer-Gegner, Giovanni Rubeis, Keerthi Dubbala
Collection on the health of refugee women
The new collection from the Vienna Women's Health Programme focuses on ‘Women's Health and Flight’. An article by Wanda Spahl is dedicated to health care for refugee women in Vienna. She discusses both practical and structural barriers as well as the empowering effect of early legal access to the health system and good medical care.
New publication on the topic of migration and health
The article ‘Navigating borders: Impact on the health and well-being of refugees in Austria’ (in English) by Wanda Spahl has been published in the 7th Yearbook of Migration Research. Based on interviews and observations with people who applied for asylum in Austria around 2015, it is shown that they associate many of their illnesses with their living situation as refugees in Austria. The article concludes that it is not enough to provide refugees with legal and practical access to the healthcare system. It is also important to address the boundaries that are inscribed in the bodies of refugees and put a strain on their health. This includes shortening asylum procedures and taking action against racism and discrimination.
The entire anthology ‘Drawing Boundaries and Crossing Borders: Migration in Theorie und Praxis’ is available Open Access here