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. 2025 Jun 5:7:1528711.
doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2025.1528711. eCollection 2025.

Digital horizons in non-communicable disease care: a bibliometric exploration of intervention impact and innovation

Sudip Bhattacharya  1 , Alok Singh  2 , Akanksha Kashyap  3
Affiliations

Digital horizons in non-communicable disease care: a bibliometric exploration of intervention impact and innovation

Sudip Bhattacharya et al. Front Digit Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: Digital interventions show considerable promise in managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) within primary healthcare.

Aim: The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research on digital interventions for individuals living with NCDs.

Methodology: This study explores digital interventions in NCDs through a bibliometric analysis from 2014 to 2024. Carefully designed search queries targeted primary and combined terms to cover a wide range of NCDs, including cancer, diabetes, and hypertension. SCOPUS searches yielded 9,572 English-language articles, refined by excluding non-relevant works and duplicates. Metadata, including authorship, keywords, and citations, was extracted for analysis. Using Biblioshiny and VosViewer, the study examined publication trends, telemedicine applications, and the knowledge framework of the field. Conceptual themes were identified through co-occurrence mapping, intellectual structures via co-citation networks, and social structures through collaboration patterns among authors, institutions, and countries.

Results: The upward trend in research on digital interventions and NCDs accelerated significantly after 2018, peaking in 2021, followed by a slight decline. Medicine dominates this field, with considerable contributions from biochemistry, health professions, and engineering. The most prolific authors, primarily from the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, have significantly shaped this research area. Institutional contributions are led by Harvard Medical School and other global leaders, reflecting strong inter-institutional collaborations. The United States and the United Kingdom are the most productive countries, with the Journal of Medical Internet Research standing out as the leading publication. Keyword analysis reveals a focus on telemedicine, COVID-19, tele-health, and digital health. Co-citation analyses identify key intellectual frameworks, while co-authorship and institutional collaborations highlight robust global networks. Emerging trends emphasize AI, digital health tools, and patient self-management, underscoring a transformative shift in addressing NCDs through technology-driven interventions. The findings highlight the need for patient-centered applications, improved implementation strategies, and strengthened collaborations, especially in underrepresented regions, to enhance the global impact of digital interventions for NCDs.

Keywords: chronic disease; digital health; health information systems; m-Health (Mobile health); non-communicable diseases; telemedicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Results of keywords search as per PRISMA guidelines.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Annual scientific production (source; SCOPUS).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Documents by subject area (source: SCOPUS).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Three field plot.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Bradford law.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Documents per year by top journals (source: SCOPUS).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Tree map of authors keywords.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Word frequency over time.
Figure 9
Figure 9
The network visualisation map of keywords Co-occurrence.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Sankey diagram.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Thematic map.
Figure 12
Figure 12
The network visualisation map of co-cited references.
Figure 13
Figure 13
The network visualisation of co-authorship between the authors.
Figure 14
Figure 14
The network visualisation of co-authorship between the institutions.
Figure 15
Figure 15
Snapshot of the bibliometric map representing Co-authorship analysis of countries in network visualisation mode.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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