Work

The effect of digital health interventions in older adults with frailty: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Year: 2025

Type: review

Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis

Abstract: Background: Frailty is prevalent among the elderly population and can lead to multiple negative health consequences. Objective: This study compares the effects of digital interventions versus either non-digital interventions with the same content or routine treatment/care alone (or both) on improving physical function and frailty status in older adults, and clarifies the formal advantages and comprehensive benefits of digital interventions. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Methods: Systematic searches of the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, and CNKI for publications archived in the database between its launch and January 16, 2025. The meta-analysis was performed using stata 15.0 and 16.0. We used the 2019 Revised version of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB 2.0) to evaluate the study's quality. Results: = 0.107). Meta-regression analyses revealed that covariates including sex distribution, country of origin, care setting, intervention type, intervention duration, and assessment methodology exhibited no significant moderating effects on grip strength, cognitive function, or quality of life outcomes. Conclusions: The study results showed that frail elderly individuals who received digital health interventions improved their frailty status, grip strength, cognitive function, and quality of life. Furthermore, compared with the usual care group, the digital exercise intervention group showed superior effects on improving grip strength, frailty status, and cognitive function among frail elderly populations, suggesting that the "digital intervention combined with exercise" model should be prioritized for managing geriatric frailty in clinical practice. Future research should conduct more large-sample, homogeneous, high-quality clinical trials to more accurately verify the effects of core digital modules on frailty and physical function in the elderly. Registration Number: CRD42024614928 (PROSPERO).

Source: International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnsa.2025.100470

Authors: Meng-Yao Liang, Jin-Rui Cui, Xin Fan, Jun-Jie Zhang, Xiao-Ling Liu, Dong-Gui Liu

Institutions: Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Language: English

Topic: Frailty in Older Adults

Subfield: Geriatrics and Gerontology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,930