Evidence mapPaperPMID 41154939Full record

ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2025

Interoperability as a Catalyst for Digital Health and Therapeutics: A Scoping Review of Emerging Technologies and Standards (2015-2025).

Kola Adegoke, Abimbola Adegoke, Deborah Dawodu, Akorede Adekoya, Ayoola Bayowa, Temitope Kayode, Mallika Singh

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Kola AdegokeSchool of Health Sciences and Practice, New York Medical College, 40 Sunshine Cottage Road, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.ORCID 0009-0005-5615-1152
Abimbola AdegokeDepartment of Health & Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Professions, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, One West University Blvd, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA.ORCID 0009-0005-2436-3839
Deborah DawoduMcWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, UTHealth Houston, 7000 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA.ORCID 0009-0003-3953-3082
Akorede AdekoyaDepartment of Global Health, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada.ORCID 0009-0006-2435-2934
Ayoola BayowaDepartment of Business Administration, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada.ORCID 0009-0001-7779-4270
Temitope KayodeSchool of Health Sciences and Practice, New York Medical College, 40 Sunshine Cottage Road, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6417-9631
Mallika SinghSchool of Health Sciences and Practice, New York Medical College, 40 Sunshine Cottage Road, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.ORCID 0009-0008-2279-4776

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInteroperability is fundamental for advancing digital health and digital therapeutics, particularly with the integration of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and federated learning. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where digital infrastructure remains fragmented, face specific challenges in implementing standardized and scalable systems.

methodsThis scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework, refined by Levac et al., and the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. Five databases (PubMed, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and Google Scholar) were searched for peer-reviewed English language studies published between 2015 and 2025. We identified 255 potentially eligible articles and selected a 10% random sample (n = 26) using Stata 18 by StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX, USA, for in-depth data charting and thematic synthesis.

resultsThe selected studies spanned over 15 countries and addressed priority technologies, including mobile health (mHealth), the use of Health Level Seven (HL7)'s Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) for data exchange, and blockchain. Interoperability enablers include standards (e.g., HL7 FHIR), data governance frameworks, and policy interventions. Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) face common issues related to digital capacity shortages, legacy systems, and governance fragmentation. Five thematic areas were identified: (1) policy and governance; (2) standards-based integration; (3) infrastructure and platforms; (4) emerging technologies; and (5) LMIC implementation issues.

conclusionsEmerging digital health technologies increasingly rely on interoperability standards to scale their operation. Although global standards such as FHIR and the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) are gaining momentum, LMICs require dedicated governance, infrastructure, and capacity investments to make equitable use feasible. Future initiatives can benefit from using science- and equity-informed frameworks.

Indexed as

Health Information InteroperabilityTelemedicineArtificial IntelligenceDeveloping CountriesDigital HealthHumansblockchaindigital healthdigital therapeuticsemerging technologiesFHIRhealth data standardsinteroperabilityLMICs

Identifiers

PMID41154939
PMCPMC12563453

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.