Digital health technologies for monitoring and managing IBD-related fatigue: A scoping review

Fatigue is a common, persistent symptom in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Digital health technologies (DHTs) may enable ongoing monitoring and timely support, yet the relevant evidence remains dispersed.

To map how DHTs are used to monitor or manage IBD-related fatigue, summarize intervention characteristics, measures, feasibility, acceptability, and reported effectiveness.

Following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and the Arksey O' Malley framework, and reported per PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), eight databases and gray sources from inception to 30 October 2025 were searched using a Population-Concept-Context schema. Eligible studies used a DHT to assess or manage IBD-related fatigue. Screening and data charting were conducted in duplicate; findings were synthesized narratively.

Eleven studies were included: four randomized trials, two cohorts, one program evaluation, one non-randomized feasibility study, one multisensor pilot, one mixed-methods study, and one qualitative study. Technologies fell into six groups: telemedicine portals, web-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) self-management, mobile self-management applications, device-linked neuromodulation, wearable-enabled monitoring, and eDiary-based symptom tracking. Feasibility and acceptability were commonly reported in patient-facing studies, and implementation-focused evidence suggested professional acceptability when roles and workflows were clearly defined. Randomized comparisons rarely showed significant differences in fatigue improvement between the groups. Patient-reported outcomes predominated, including IBD-F, FACIT-F, FSS, and PROMIS-Fatigue. Device metrics were mainly activity-based with limited higher-frequency physiology. Engagement often declined, and misalignment between measurement and intervention design was common.

Current evidence suggests that DHTs for IBD-related fatigue are generally feasible and acceptable in the studied contexts, but evidence for reducing fatigue is limited and mixed. A pragmatic next step may be a hybrid measurement strategy combining validated fatigue questionnaires, brief daily ratings, and a small set of interpretable device metrics within timing-sensitive trial designs to support implementation in routine care.