Evidence mapPaperPMID 42370092Full record

ReviewEULAR rheumatology open2026

Exploring digital health technology in rheumatology: a scoping review on benefits, challenges, and future possibilities.

Esther Ramlakhan, Eiman Soliman

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in EULAR rheumatology open, 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

2 authors.

Esther RamlakhanDepartment of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Unit, San Fernando General Hospital, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago.
Eiman SolimanRheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study is to identify the benefits associated with the integration of digital health technology within rheumatology care, the challenges associated with its implementation, and its future potential to transform rheumatology practice in an evolving global society. Methods: A scoping review was conducted utilising the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) extension for Scoping Review guidelines. The Cochrane, Medline, Embase, and Wiley Online Library databases were searched to identify studies on digital health technology in rheumatology practice within the last 10 years (2015-2025). Study outcomes were summarised using a narrative, descriptive analysis. Results: Forty-six articles were included in the final review. The main forms of digital health technology included telehealth/telemedicine, electronic health records, and electronic patient-reported outcome measures, digital health intervention applications, self-assessment and monitoring applications, digital diagnostic decision support systems, and cloud platforms. Benefits included improved management of chronic diseases with increased flexibility, time saving, and high levels of patient satisfaction. Challenges identified included difficulty with usage due to lack of digital literacy and technology malfunction, disparities with patient access to technology, physician burnout with additional monitoring requirements, increased training, hardware and software requirements, and privacy and security concerns. Projected opportunities included the generation of a big data scenario with increased linkages, allowing opportunities for evidence-based research and data collection in real time, the identification of patient subgroups that may benefit from more frequent care and improved patient empowerment and communication. Conclusions: Digital health technology has potential value with benefits to self-management, clinical care and research opportunities. This can lead to health advancements at an individual and population level for both rheumatology practice and general healthcare once issues identified arising from its implementation have been adequately addressed.

Identifiers

PMID42370092
PMCPMC13292452

What Socratic holds

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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.