Selection Process

Each app was evaluated using a detailed analysis grid with over 100 criteria for clinical effectiveness, data security, simplicity, and accessibility. Healthcare professionals and patient partners tested each app to refine the assessment and ensure the app was relevant.

Out of thousands of available apps, only 19 made it through the full process.

Strong Governance

This site is an initiative of the Centre d'expertise en technologie de l'information en santé mentale, dépendance et itinérance (CETI-SMDI), part of the CIUSSS de l'Est-de-l'Île-de-Montréal. The Quebec government gave CETI-SMDI the mission to increase access to mental health care and services through digital tools.

In making AppMentalHealth.ca, CETI-SMDI:

• Set rigorous criteria

• Implemented an independent selection process that brought together technology experts, mental health professionals, community workers, and people with lived experience, all chosen for their expertise

• Based their work on strong principles like ethics, transparency, and quality

Selected apps that are more likely to meet the needs of the population

An Independent Multidisciplinary Group

The participating experts are organized into two complementary bodies: a decision-making steering committee and a group of partner testers.

The steering committee guides the selection process in broad terms. It reviews analyses, issues recommendations, and proposes strategies based on its expertise to ensure that the selected tools are relevant, safe, useful, and tailored to users’ needs.

The group of partner testers tests the applications to give a real-world evaluation of how useful, user-friendy, and relevant the apps are for a variety of different contexts and needs.

Members of both groups come from diverse backgrounds and sign a declaration stating that they have no conflicts of interest, ensuring an impartial and rigorous review process.

Group Profile & Their Contributions

Clinicians (general practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses): Validate clinical benefit

Patient partners and caregivers: Ensure the tool reflects real-life experiences

Researchers / Academics: Methodology and scientific rigour

Accessibility and diversity experts: Linguistic, cultural, and disability inclusiveness

Community organizations: Perspective on real-world needs

Ethics, legal, and digital governance specialists: Rights protection and privacy

Healthcare system managers: Feasibility and integration into services

Product and user experience experts: Usability and sustainable engagement

With Over 350,000 Health-Related Mobile Apps Available, How Did We Find the 19 Best Ones for Quebecers?

We begin with a sea of 350,000 apps. Only a select few made the cut after going through a rigorous, transparent, and independent process that combined technology with human judgment. Here are the key steps:

1. Automated Initial Screening

A specialized software scanned app stores (Apple App Store, Google Play) and filtered out outdated apps and apps with no privacy policy.

No app was able to influence the process or pay to be included in the listing. About 5,000 apps passed this stage.

2. In-Depth Human Review

Experts analyzed these apps using specific criteria such as:

• Data security and privacy

• Accessibility and ease of use

• Scientific validity

Around 30 apps were selected at this stage.

3. Testing by Quebec Clinicians and Patients

Patients and healthcare professionals tested each app and evaluated its:

• Real-life usefulness

• User experience and accessibility

• Respect for diversity and ethical standards

The final 19 apps were chosen based on these evaluations, in collaboration with the steering committee. Each selected app was published on this site along with a clear and unbiased evaluation summary.

Evaluation Frameworks

Each evaluation criterion was based on or inspired by internationally recognized standards and frameworks, including: 

• Publications from INESSS (Québec’s National Institute of Excellence in Health and Social Services)

• AppGuide Québec Trusted Reports

• Mental Health Commission of Canada and ORCHA (UK)

• ISO 82304-2 (quality & reliability) from the International Organization for Standardization

• Digi-HTA from Finland’s Ministry of Health

• DiGA from Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices

• NICE Evidence Standards Framework from the UK’s Department of Health

The process is continuously updated. For more details, visit our Updates section.

Last update of the content of this page: June 12th, 2025