Smartphone apps on burns first aid: A review of the advice

Abstract Aims Many websites giving first aid advice are disappointingly inaccurate and at times dangerous in regard to burn injuries. With more patients relying on their smart phones to obtain online information the aim of this study was to compare first aid applications (apps) burn advice against those guidelines set by the British Burns Association (BBA.) Method A content analysis of all freely available English written first aid apps from Google Play and the Apple Store was performed. The information was compared against BBA guidance which was split into 12 domains and scored appropriately. Results 61 of the 103 first aid apps included in the study, had information on the treatment of burn injuries. The mean score for all apps was 3.3 out of 12. 85% of apps postulated the need to cool the burn. However, only 11% of apps stipulated the need for 20 minutes of cooling, while 3% suggested the burn can be cooled up to three hours post injury. Disappointingly even apps produced by reputable first aid charities scored poorly. Conclusion Burns first aid is documented as being poorly given in the community. With easy access to the internet and specifically smart device apps, more needs to be done to improve burn first aid information online.