SynthesisJournal of medical Internet research2026
Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing Digital Health Technologies for Remote Management of NCDs in Rural Areas: Mixed Methods Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Journal of medical Internet research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Digital health technologies (DHTs) have the potential to improve care delivery and outcomes for patients with noncommunicable diseases. Yet their implementation in rural settings remains uneven, and the factors influencing uptake are not well understood. Objective: This mixed methods systematic review aimed to identify barriers and facilitators influencing the implementation and use of DHTs for remote management of noncommunicable diseases in rural areas. Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, and CINAHL from inception to February 12, 2026, using terms related to digital health, noncommunicable diseases, and rural settings. Following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for mixed-method systematic review, we synthesized quantitative and qualitative studies. Barriers and facilitators were categorized using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, and study quality was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: From the initial 1491 records, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria, with most conducted in high-income countries (n=11). Key barriers included technical challenges (software instability and hardware issues), poor internet connectivity, financial constraints, and workforce constraints, such as staff shortages and heavy workloads. Key facilitators included user-friendly technology design, strong leadership, effective teamwork, and ongoing communication. Evidence was predominantly qualitative, with only limited quantitative data available. Conclusions: DHTs show promise for improving access and continuity of care for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes in rural settings; however, their impact is constrained by structural inequities, including limited broadband access, workforce shortages, and financial fragility. These findings highlight important implications for research, policy, and practice, including the need for rigorous mixed methods evaluations sensitive to rural contexts, long-term equity-oriented financing mechanisms, and strengthened organizational readiness to support effective DHT uptake.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.