Digital Health Services and Healthcare Management Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Digital health services, including telemedicine, telemonitoring, virtual consultations, and remote patient care systems, are increasingly integrated into healthcare delivery, yet their overall effects on healthcare management outcomes remain uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of digital health services on healthcare quality, patient satisfaction, healthcare efficiency, and hospitalization-related and clinical outcomes. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched through 15 May 2026, and 21 eligible studies evaluating diverse digital health interventions were included. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed using Review Manager (RevMan). Risk ratios (RRs) and standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated according to outcome type. Digital health services showed no statistically significant pooled difference in healthcare quality compared with conventional care (RR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.90-1.18). Patient satisfaction also showed no significant pooled difference (SMD = -0.06, 95% CI: -1.12 to 1.01), although individual studies reported favorable patient experiences. Healthcare utilization efficiency showed a favorable but nonsignificant trend (RR = 1.52, 95% CI: 0.49-4.73), while hospitalization and poor clinical outcomes showed a nonsignificant trend favoring digital health services (RR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.60-1.08). Substantial heterogeneity was observed across these analyses, with I² values ranging from 95% to 100%. Overall, digital health services did not demonstrate significant pooled differences from conventional care, although individual studies and nonsignificant pooled trends suggest potential context-dependent benefits that should be interpreted cautiously.