The Cost-Effectiveness of Mobile Health (mHealth) Interventions for Older Adults: Systematic Review

Zartashia Ghani, Johan Jarl, Johan Sanmartin Berglund, Martin Andersson and Peter Anderberg
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Zartashia Ghani: Department of Health, Blekinge Institute of Technology, SE-371 79 Karlskrona, Sweden
Johan Jarl: Health Economics Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
Johan Sanmartin Berglund: Department of Health, Blekinge Institute of Technology, SE-371 79 Karlskrona, Sweden
Peter Anderberg: Department of Health, Blekinge Institute of Technology, SE-371 79 Karlskrona, Sweden

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-13

Abstract: The objective of this study was to critically assess and review empirical evidence on the cost-effectiveness of Mobile Health (mHealth) interventions for older adults. We systematically searched databases such as Pubmed, Scopus, and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Literature (CINAHL) for peer-reviewed economic evaluations published in English from 2007 to 2018. We extracted data on methods and empirical evidence (costs, effects, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio) and assessed if this evidence supported the reported findings in terms of cost-effectiveness. The consolidated health economic evaluation reporting standards (CHEERS) checklist was used to assess the reporting quality of the included studies. Eleven studies were identified and categorized into two groups: complex smartphone communication and simple text-based communication. Substantial heterogeneity among the studies in terms of methodological approaches and types of intervention was observed. The cost-effectiveness of complex smartphone communication interventions cannot be judged due to lack of information. Limited evidence of cost-effectiveness was found for interventions related to simple text-based communications. Comprehensive economic evaluation studies are warranted to assess the cost-effectiveness of mHealth interventions designed for older adults.

Keywords: aged; cost-benefit analysis; economic evaluation; gerontechnology; telemedicine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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