Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41818747›Full record

SynthesisJournal of medical Internet research2026

Effects of Digital Health Interventions on Functional and Psychological Outcomes in Older Patients With Hip Fractures: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Wei Fan, Qi Zhang, Qunfeng Lu

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of medical Internet research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

3 authors.

Wei FanSchool of Medicine, Tianjin Tianshi College, Tianjin, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2708-5243
Qi Zhang *Department of Nursing, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5517-2617
Qunfeng Lu *Department of Nursing, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6206-7628

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHip fractures in older adults increasingly challenge public health, making traditional rehabilitation very challenging. Digital health interventions (DHIs) have emerged as a promising solution for postoperative rehabilitation. However, evidence on DHIs' effects on functional and psychological outcomes remains insufficient.

objectiveThis systematic review aimed to comprehensively examine the effects of DHIs on functional and psychological outcomes in older adults with hip fractures.

methodsFollowing PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, we searched 9 databases (PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, PEDro, CNKI, WANFANG, and SinoMed) from inception to November 13, 2025. Included studies enrolled adults aged 60 years and older with hip fractures, delivered DHIs, assessed functional and psychological outcomes, set usual care or no intervention as the control, and had a randomized controlled trial design. Studies were excluded if they enrolled nonhospitalized patients in the emergency department, patients discharged to nonhome settings, or had inaccessible full text or insufficient data. Study quality was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool 2.0 (Cochrane Collaboration), and evidence certainty was assessed using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation). The literature screening, data extraction, and quality assessment were independently conducted by 2 researchers, and any disputes were resolved by the third researcher. We performed analysis using R version 4.0.3 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing) with a random-effects model.

resultsOf 17,723 studies screened, 13 met the inclusion criteria. DHIs, compared to the control, significantly improved hip function (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.80, 95% CI 0.33-1.26; 95% prediction interval [PI] -0.24 to 1.83; P=.007) and functional independence (SMD 1.23, 95% CI 0.34-2.11; 95% PI -0.98 to 3.34; P=.02). Despite favorable pooled effects, a wide 95% PI spanning positive or negative values signals substantial heterogeneity. No significant difference was observed in balance function, risk of falling, and quality of life. Only a single available study reported a 70% adherence rate in the DHIs group. Subgroup analyses stratified by intervention duration revealed no significant intersubgroup differences for hip function (χ

conclusionsThis review incorporates the latest randomized controlled trials and comprehensively assesses functional and psychological outcomes of DHIs in older patients with hip fractures, distinct from prior studies focusing solely on functional outcomes. While the 95% CI supports the potential of DHIs to improve hip function and functional independence, the wide 95% PI indicating substantial real-world response variability, which calls for cautious interpretation, informs the design of targeted DHI-based rehabilitation regimens, warranting further research into optimal techniques and dosages in clinical practice.

trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42024626186; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024626186.

Indexed as

Hip FracturesAgedAged, 80 and overDigital HealthHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as Topicdigital healthhip fracturesmeta-analysisolder patientssystematic review

Identifiers

PMID41818747
PMCPMC13022544

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.