EHealth Technologies in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Digital Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Electronic-health (eHealth) technologies are increasingly utilized for managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
• These technologies include web-based interventions, virtual clinics, smartphone applications, and telemedicine.
• Their role in IBD patient management is expanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of eHealth on clinical indices and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in IBD.
• To assess the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and feasibility of eHealth for IBD self-management.
• To provide recommendations for eHealth design and implementation in IBD care.

Main Methods:

• A literature search identified 17 relevant publications.
• Included studies comprised six randomized controlled trials and nine observational studies.
• Publications were selected based on predefined quality parameters.

Main Results:

• eHealth technologies improved relapse duration, disease activity, medication adherence, and quality of life in IBD patients.
• Studies indicated reduced healthcare costs and fewer acute visits for IBD symptoms.
• eHealth facilitated remote management for a significant portion of IBD cohorts.

Conclusions:

• eHealth technologies hold significant potential for promoting self-management in IBD.
• These tools can help reduce the burden of IBD on healthcare resource utilization.
• A theoretical framework is recommended for developing, implementing, and evaluating eHealth interventions for IBD.