Peer-reviewed article
mHealth Technologies for the Care of Children With Congenital Heart Disease: Scoping Review.
Wang M, Pan Q, Tan S, Kong Y, Dai Z et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This scoping review examines how mobile health technologies are being used to care for children with congenital heart disease. The researchers searched multiple international databases and found 44 studies showing that mobile apps, wearable devices, and remote monitoring can improve children's exercise capacity, nutrition, mental health, and quality of life. The review concludes that mobile health tools are practical and effective for managing this condition, though future work should focus on peer education, privacy protection, and evidence-based design.
Key points
- 44 studies met inclusion criteria out of 519 identified articles (8.5%)
- Main mHealth interventions included mobile apps, wearable devices, and remote monitoring equipment
- mHealth technologies improved exercise capacity, nutritional status, psychological well-being, and quality of life in children with CHD
- The application of mHealth in CHD care is feasible and demonstrates positive effects
- Future research should emphasize peer education, patient privacy protection, and use of theoretical frameworks
Limitations
This is a scoping review that synthesizes existing literature rather than conducting original research, so it cannot determine causal effects or provide detailed outcome measurements. The review does not specify the quality of included studies or the strength of evidence supporting each type of mHealth intervention.
Abstract
Background Mobile information technology (IT) is increasingly being used in the health care sector, and it can play a critical role in both the care of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and the quality of life of their families. Objective This study aimed to conduct a scoping review of the application of mobile health (mHealth) technologies in the care of children with CHD. We summarized the forms of mHealth interventions and effects on CHD to provide a reference for future research in this field. Methods We searched PubMed; Embase; Web of Science; the Cochrane Library; CINAHL; China National Knowledge Infrastructure; Wanfang Data; the Chinese Biomedical Database; VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database; National Guideline Clearinghouse of the United States; the website of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, Canada; the Guidelines International Network; the American Heart Association; and the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. The search period was from the establishment of the databases to June 12, 2025. The retrieved literature was screened and analyzed. Results A total of 519 Chinese- and English-language articles were identified, with 44 (8.5%) studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The primary forms of mHealth interventions for patients with CHD included mobile apps, wearable devices, and remote monitoring equipment. The findings indicated that mHealth technologies could improve exercise capacity, nutritional status, psychological well-being, and quality of life in children with CHD. Conclusions The application of mHealth in the care of children with CHD is feasible and demonstrates positive effects. Future research should emphasize peer education and patient privacy protection while further exploring remote education and health management based on theoretical frameworks and intelligent ITs to enhance quality of life for both children with CHD and their parents.