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. 2024 Dec 30:26:e55753.
doi: 10.2196/55753.

Platform-Based Patient-Clinician Digital Health Interventions for Care Transitions: Scoping Review

Chantal Backman #  1 , Rosie Papp #  1 , Aurelie Tonjock Kolle  1 , Steve Papp  2 , Sarah Visintini  1 , Ana Lúcia Schaefer Ferreira de Mello  3 , Gabriela Marcellino de Melo Lanzoni  3 , Anne Harley  4
Affiliations

Platform-Based Patient-Clinician Digital Health Interventions for Care Transitions: Scoping Review

Chantal Backman et al. J Med Internet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Care transitions are complex and can make patients vulnerable to adverse events. Poor communication among clinicians, patients, and their caregivers is a critical gap during these periods of transition. Technology solutions such as platform-based patient-clinician digital health interventions (DHIs) can provide support and education to patients.

Objective: The aims of this scoping review were to explore the literature on platform-based patient-clinician DHIs specific to hospital-to-home care transitions and identify the barriers to and enablers of the uptake and implementation of these DHIs.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted. A total of 4 databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) were searched on July 13, 2022. Studies involving patients aged >18 years who used platform-based DHIs during their hospital-to-home transition were included. In total, 2 reviewers independently screened the articles for eligibility using a 2-stage process of title and abstract and full-text screening. Eligible studies underwent data extraction, and the results were analyzed using descriptive and narrative methods.

Results: We screened 8322 articles, of which 97 (1.17%) met our inclusion criteria. DHIs were implemented using a mobile app (59/97, 61%), a web-based platform (28/97, 29%), or a combination of both (10/97, 10%). The 2 most common health conditions related to the DHIs were cardiac disease (22/97, 23%) and stroke (11/97, 11%). Outcomes varied greatly but were grouped by health care use, complications, and wellness outcomes. The top 2 barriers were lack of interest (13/97, 13%) and time constraints to use the DHIs (10/97, 10%), and the top 2 enablers were the ability to use the DHIs (17/97, 18%) and their ease of use (11/97, 11%). The main conflicting theme was access (enabler; 28/97, 29%) or limited access (barrier; 15/97, 15%) to technology or the internet.

Conclusions: Platform-based DHIs could help improve communication, coordination, and information sharing between clinicians and patients during transition periods. Further research is needed to assess the effectiveness of these platform-based DHIs on patient outcomes.

Keywords: care transition; digital health intervention; mobile phone; patient-clinician; platform based.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) flow diagram—digital heath interventions (DHIs) for care transitions.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Frequency distribution of platform-based digital health interventions used for care transitions by year.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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