Use of Digital Health Interventions Among Forcibly Displaced People: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Digital Health
• Forcibly Displaced Populations

Background:

• Forcibly displaced people face significant biopsychosocial barriers to healthcare access.
• Digital health interventions offer a potential solution to bridge these care gaps.
• Characterizing recruitment and retention is crucial for evaluating digital health feasibility in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate recruitment and retention rates of digital health interventions in forcibly displaced populations.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and SocINDEX (Jan 2023, updated Feb 2024).
• Inclusion of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on digital health interventions for forcibly displaced people.
• Meta-analysis of pooled recruitment and retention rates using a random-effects model.

Main Results:

• Analyzed 9 RCTs with 2858 participants; mobile applications and phones were common technologies.
• Recruitment rates ranged from 16% to 100%, with a pooled rate of 91% (95% CI, 57%-99%).
• Retention rates varied from 28% to 91%, with a pooled rate of 68% (95% CI, 48%-84%).

Conclusions:

• Forcibly displaced populations demonstrate variable but generally high recruitment and retention rates in digital health trials.
• Digital technologies present a significant opportunity for scalable health interventions in this population.
• These interventions may effectively mitigate negative health consequences linked to in-person care barriers.