Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Nov 13, 2024
Date Accepted: Jul 31, 2025
E-health Self-Management Interventions for Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: A Scoping Review
ABSTRACT
Background:
Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a morbid condition correlated with frequent hospitalization and high mortality. Although self-management can improve health outcomes in patients with LC, and self-management interventions based on e-health have been developed for patients with chronic illnesses, the effectiveness of e-health self-management interventions in patients with LC remains unclear.
Objective:
This systematic review aimed to explain the characteristics and evaluate the effectiveness of e-health self-management interventions for patients with LC.
Methods:
This study was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and Web of Science electronic databases were systematically searched for relevant studies using the keywords “liver cirrhosis,” “self-management, lifestyle modification” and “e-health.” Three authors independently screened, extracted, and evaluated data obtained from the included studies. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) or Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) economic evaluation tools.
Results:
Among 17,253 screened studies, the seven included studies comprised three pilot studies, two feasibility studies, one quasi-experimental study, and one cost-effectiveness study. The e-health interventions included monitoring physiological symptoms, weight changes, and lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise, to control decompensated cirrhosis. The intervention outcome variables reported by the studies were increased muscle strength and reduced readmission rates. Additionally, one study reported positive results in terms of reducing medical costs.
Conclusions:
Owing to the lack of randomizing controlled trials meeting the inclusion criteria for this review, we could not analyze the effectiveness of e-health self-management interventions. This finding underscores the absence of evidence regarding the effectiveness of e-health self-management interventions for patients with LC. Therefore, further research is needed to determine the efficacy of these interventions in improving health outcomes in diverse populations with LC. Clinical Trial: CRD 42024498296
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