The following is a summary of “Digital Health Interventions for Heart Failure Management in Underserved Rural Areas of the United States: A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials,” published in the January 2024 issue of Cardiology by Azizi et al.
Heart failure poses a significant health burden in rural areas, leading to unfavorable health outcomes. To address this challenge, digital health interventions have emerged as a promising avenue for enhancing heart failure management. This systematic review aimed to identify randomized trials evaluating the efficacy of digital health interventions for individuals with heart failure in underserved rural areas.
The review encompassed a comprehensive search across six databases from 2000 to 2023, yielding 30,426 articles, with inclusion criteria based on the US Census Bureau’s rural classification. Two independent reviewers utilized the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute tool to assess bias risk. The analysis incorporated five trials from six US states, comprising 870 participants (42.9% female). Telemedicine was employed in all studies, with two incorporating remote monitoring and one utilizing mobile health technology. Positive outcomes were observed, including enhanced self‐care behaviors in four trials, increased knowledge in two, and reduced cardiovascular mortality in one. However, three trials indicated no change or an increase in healthcare resource utilization, two exhibited no alteration in cardiac biomarkers, and two revealed an increase in anxiety.
In conclusion, these findings suggest that digital health interventions hold promise for improving self‐care and knowledge among heart failure patients in underserved rural areas. Nevertheless, further research must assess their impact on clinical outcomes, biomarkers, and healthcare resource utilization.