Economic Evaluation Methodologies of Remote Patient Monitoring for Chronic Conditions: Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Health Services Research
• Digital Health

Background:

• Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is crucial for managing chronic conditions globally.
• Economic evaluations of RPM interventions face significant challenges.
• Standardizing these evaluations is essential for healthcare system planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore methodologies in economic evaluations of RPM for chronic conditions.
• To focus on cost identification, measurement, valuation, and reporting quality.
• To identify gaps and inconsistencies in current economic evaluation practices.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.
• Systematic searches across Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Web of Science.
• Inclusion of 41 studies reporting economic evaluations of RPM for chronic conditions.

Main Results:

• Diverse economic evaluation methods were used, including cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and cost-consequence analyses.
• Significant variability existed in cost identification, measurement, and valuation approaches.
• Limited adherence to Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) 2022 was observed, particularly in reporting sensitivity analyses and cost data.

Conclusions:

• Economic evaluations of RPM interventions for chronic conditions exhibit considerable methodological diversity and variability.
• Inconsistent cost methodologies and poor adherence to reporting standards hinder cross-study comparisons.
• Future research requires standardized, transparent reporting to enhance the reliability of economic evidence for RPM implementation decisions.