Mapping the use of interactive voice response (IVR) in healthcare in Africa: a scoping review protocol

Africa faces a substantial health burden characterised by a dual burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases compounded by persistent health system and infrastructure constraints. Digital health interventions offer scalable opportunities to strengthen healthcare delivery. Interactive voice response (IVR), an automated telephone-based technology, shows promise across African health settings; however, existing evidence is dispersed across isolated studies and demonstrates variability in outcomes and implementation approaches. This scoping review maps existing evidence on the use of IVR in healthcare in Africa, focusing on applications, outcomes and implementation experiences.

Eligible studies will include all designs that evaluate IVR-based health interventions in African healthcare settings, while non-voice digital interventions and non-empirical publications will be excluded. We will conduct a scoping review guided by the Arksey and O'Malley framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute and report findings using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. We will systematically search bibliographic databases and grey literature from 2000 to the end of 2025. Two independent reviewers will screen studies, extract data and chart evidence on IVR characteristics, implementation strategies, barriers and facilitators and outcomes. A third reviewer will resolve disagreements. We will synthesise findings descriptively and thematically, presenting results in tables, visual maps and an equity-focused analysis guided by PROGRESS-Plus.

Ethical approval is not required because this scoping review synthesises previously published, publicly available literature and does not involve human participants or primary data collection. We will share the findings through a peer-reviewed publication and conference presentations, and we will discuss the results with digital health stakeholders, clinicians and policymakers to inform future IVR work in Africa.