Digital Health and Health, Health-Service, and Equity Outcomes in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Systematic Review of the Evidence and Its Relevance to Population-Level Indicators

Document Type : Systematic Review

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Abstract
Aims: This systematic review synthesizes evidence of digital health's impact on health outcomes, services, equity, and demographic indicators in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a systematic search was conducted in PubMed , Scopus, Web of Science and IEEE Xplore for English-language studies published from January 2010 to 12 June 2026. Eligible studies evaluated digital health technologies in WHO EMR countries and reported health, health-service, health-equity, demographic, or implementation-related outcomes. Reference screening and targeted searches of WHO and WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean resources were performed. Due to heterogeneity in study designs, technologies, populations, and outcomes, findings were synthesized narratively.
Results: Among 7,894 identified records, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. Evidence was organized into five themes: digital health for maternal and reproductive prediction and decision support; maternal, neonatal, and health-service outcomes; health inequalities; policy, social, cultural, and infrastructural determinants; and population-level demographic indicators. Digital health demonstrated potential improvements in clinical decision-making, healthcare access, and service delivery. However, equity outcomes depended on factors such as digital literacy, socioeconomic status, infrastructure availability, and contextual adaptation. Implementation success was influenced by governance, interoperability, workforce capacity, sustainable investment, and user engagement. No study directly assessed macro-level demographic outcomes like life expectancy or population aging.
Conclusions: Digital health and artificial intelligence in the Eastern Mediterranean Region have the potential to improve access to healthcare services, quality of care, and health-system performance. However, evidence regarding their impact on long-term demographic changes remains limited, highlighting the need for further research.

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