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. 2025 May 5:14:e60849.
doi: 10.2196/60849.

Examining Practices Related to Ethical Aspects in eHealth Evaluation Research: Protocol for a Scoping Review

Linda Wienands  1   2 , Sabine Valenta  2   3 , Lynn Leppla  1   4 , Sabina De Geest  2   5 , László Kovács  6 , Alexandra Teynor  7 , Julia Krumme  6
Affiliations

Examining Practices Related to Ethical Aspects in eHealth Evaluation Research: Protocol for a Scoping Review

Linda Wienands et al. JMIR Res Protoc. .

Abstract

Background: eHealth technologies, including remote patient monitoring (RPM) applications, have the potential to improve care for diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular conditions. However, they also raise ethical aspects that are often inadequately addressed in eHealth evaluation research. This is problematic, as evaluations guide decision-making at multiple levels. To improve evaluation practices, it is essential to understand how ethical aspects are addressed in terms of both content and methodology, enabling the development of tailored recommendations for enhancement.

Objective: This scoping review systematically examines how ethical aspects are addressed in eHealth research, focusing on original studies evaluating RPM applications for cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Methods: Using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines, this review implemented a comprehensive search strategy with the terms "cancer or cardiovascular diseases," "eHealth or telemonitoring," and "evaluation designs." Searches included MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, SocINDEX, Philosopher's Index, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Data extraction will emphasize ethical aspects and methodological approaches to consider them. The analysis will apply inductive-deductive qualitative content analysis.

Results: Initial searches identified 3321 articles published between 2014 and August 2024. Screening and analysis will be completed in the first quarter of 2025, with results anticipated by summer 2025.

Conclusions: Overlooking ethical aspects in evaluation studies can significantly impact eHealth practices. This scoping review will map ethical considerations in original evaluation research, identifying opportunities for more holistic integration of ethics and informing future practical guidance.

Trial registration: OSF Registries OSF.IO/7XAFV; https://osf.io/7xafv/.

International registered report identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/60849.

Keywords: applied ethics; cancer; cardiovascular; eHealth; ethical aspects; ethics; evaluation designs; evaluation research; protocol; remote patient monitoring; scoping review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for new systematic reviews, which included searches of databases and registers only [73].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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