Objective: Digital interventions such as remote monitoring of symptoms and physiological measurements have the potential to reduce the economic burden of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but their cost-effectiveness remains unclear. This systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCT) aims to assess whether digital health interventions can be cost-effective in these patients.
Design: Systematic review of RCTs. Study quality was assessed using RoB2 tool.
Data sources: Systematic search in three databases: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science.
Eligibility criteria: Studies were eligible if they were RCTs with health economic evaluations assessing participants with asthma and/or COPD and comparing a digital health intervention to standard of care.
Results: We included 35 RCTs, of which 21 were related to COPD, 13 to asthma and one to both diseases. Overall, studies assessed four categories of digital health interventions: (i) Electronic patient diaries (n = 4), (ii) real-time monitoring (n = 19), (iii) teleconsultations (n = 6) and (iv) others (n = 6). Eleven studies performed a full economic evaluation analysis, while 24 studies performed a partial economic analysis. Most studies involving real-time monitoring or teleconsultations presented economic results in favour of digital health interventions (indicating them to be cost-effective or less expensive than the standard of care). Mixed results were obtained for electronic patient diaries. In the studies that conducted a full economic analysis, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) ranged from 3530,93€/QALY and 286,369,28€/QALY. In the studies that conducted a partial economic analysis, the cost differences between the intervention group and the control group ranged from 0,12€ and 85,217,86€. Half studies with low risk of bias concluded that the intervention was economically favourable.
Conclusion: Although costs varied based on intervention type, follow-up period and country, most studies report digital health interventions to be affordable or associated with decreased costs.
Trial registration: PROSPERO: CRD42023439195.
Keywords: COPD; asthma; costs; cost‐effectiveness; cost‐utility; telemedicine.
© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.