Telemonitoring in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review

Telemonitoring could be an alternative for standard face-to-face consultations. In adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), telemonitoring has been associated with improved quality of life (QoL) and reduced costs. We aimed to assess whether telemonitoring of adolescents with IBD is non-inferior to standard care in controlling disease activity. We searched Medline and Embase up to June 15, 2025, for randomized trials comparing the effect of telemonitoring and standard care on disease activity in adolescents with IBD. Secondary outcomes were QoL, costs, patient satisfaction, patient adherence, face-to-face contacts, and emergency room attendances or hospitalizations. Risk of bias and certainty of evidence were assessed using the Risk of Bias 2 tool and GRADE, respectively. Data was synthesized and reported in accordance with the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SWiM) reporting guideline and the Cochrane Handbook. Three studies (309 patients) were identified. Risk of bias was judged "high" for one study and as "some concerns" for the remaining two studies. We found that telemonitoring may not worsen disease activity (low-certainty evidence) and may result in little to no improvement in QoL (low-certainty evidence) compared to standard care. Telemonitoring likely results in a slight cost reduction (moderate- certainty evidence).

Telemonitoring may be non-inferior to standard care in controlling disease activity for adolescents with IBD.

• Studies comparing telemonitoring with standard follow-up in adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) did not find a difference in disease activity or the occurrence of flares between these strategies. • Telemonitoring could improve quality of life and reduce costs and health care utilization in adults.

• This systematic review exclusively reviews the effect of telemonitoring on adolescents with IBD. • Based on limited evidence, following adolescents with IBD with telemonitoring appears to be safe and may reduce the number of outpatient visits and societal costs.