About this Tool

This tool is a web-based demo version of the Health App Self-Assessment Checklist (the Checklist).

This tool is intended to be used as a self-assessment checklist to assist Health App developers in designing and/or self-assessing the quality and safety of their Health Apps against the criteria identified under the 2025 Australian Health Apps Assessment Revised Framework (the Framework) across 5 domains: Acceptability & culture; Safety & trustworthiness; Usability, equity & inclusion; Privacy & security; Technical & quality.

Developers are encouraged to review this checklist prior to designing their Health Apps and use it as an educational tool in conjunction with the published Revised Framework and Guidance Document throughout the design and development process. It can then be completed as a self-assessment as the app develops. The checklist is not intended to be used by an external person; external reviewers, healthcare professionals and consumers may not have access to all the information needed to complete it.

This checklist is provided as a guide only; compliance with all sections of the checklist does not guarantee that your application is compliant with national standards or applicable regulatory requirements (see Disclaimer).

The checklist is applicable to the development and assessment of all Health Apps that:

• are intended to be available in Australia.
• have a goal of supporting preventative healthcare and/or improving health and wellness in users.

This tool does not save data and rather is designed so that each Domain should be entered in one session. At the end of the completion of a specific Domain the entered details can be saved or printed locally as a PDH or HTML file.

Your feedback is welcomed on the usability and utility of this tool. You can provide your feedback by responding to this short survey: Feedback Survey

• This self-assessment checklist does not negate or replace any other standards for applications within the digital health space.
• All Health Apps must comply with the relevant regulations, including but not limited to: Australian competition and consumer protection laws — in particular the Competition and Consumer Act 2010; privacy laws (Privacy Act 1988); and discrimination laws (multiple Acts).
• The Framework and Checklist are designed for generic applications and do not cover all the requirements for targeted priority populations or culturally safe applications. App developers developing Apps for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should refer to the article Towards a best practice framework for eHealth with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples — important characteristics of eHealth interventions: a narrative review.
• Health Apps that have the purpose of serving as a Medical Device or assist in diagnosing, treating, or preventing diseases (referred to as Software as Medical Device — SaMD) require regulatory approval through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) pathway. More information on the TGA webpage Understanding how we regulate software-based medical devices.
• Health Apps that provide, or intend to provide, mental health support, should seek to comply with the National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards (NSQDMH).
• Completion of the checklist does not constitute certification, accreditation, approval or endorsement of the app by AIDH or any other entity.

The evaluation and revision of the Health Apps Assessment Framework was funded by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing as part of the Health Peak and Advisory Bodies (HPAB) Grant Program. Information about the work previously delivered by AIDH in the context of the HPAB program is available here: https://digitalhealth.org.au/advocacy/mhealth/