Evaluating Technology-Driven Strategies for Enhancing Patient Outreach for Preventive Care: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Public Health
• Digital Health

Background:

• Preventive care is vital for early disease detection and cost reduction.
• Technology integration in health communication, like chatbots and SMS, shows promise for patient adherence.
• Evidence for these technologies in non-immunization preventive screenings is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the impact of chatbots and SMS on preventive care screenings beyond immunizations.
• To evaluate their effect on response rates and care gap closures.
• To identify research gaps in technology-based preventive care outreach.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review using the PICO framework.
• Searched five databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library) from January to July 2024.
• Included studies comparing technology-based outreach (chatbots, SMS) with traditional methods for preventive screenings.

Main Results:

• 10 studies met inclusion criteria from 132 articles.
• Chatbots and SMS show potential for enhancing preventive care uptake and aligning with value-based care.
• Significant gaps exist in research on emerging technologies, non-immunization screenings, and cost-effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• Chatbots and SMS are promising tools for improving preventive care outreach.
• Further methodologically robust research is needed to confirm their impact and cost-effectiveness.
• Addressing research gaps is crucial for scalable, integrated preventive care strategies.