A Systematic Review of Digital Health’s Relevance to Population-Level Health, Service, and Equity Indicators in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Aims: This systematic review synthesized evidence on the impact of digital health on health outcomes, services, equity, and demographic indicators in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.Information & Methods: Following PRISMA ۲۰۲۰ guidelines, we conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore for English-language studies published from January ۲۰۱۰ to June ۱۲, ۲۰۲۶. Eligible studies evaluated digital health technologies in World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region countries and reported health, health-service, health-equity, demographic, or implementation-related outcomes. We screened references and conducted targeted searches of resources from World Health Organization and the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. Because of heterogeneity in study designs, technologies, populations, and outcomes, we synthesized the findings narratively.Findings: Of the ۷,۸۹۴ records identified, ۱۱ 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 showed potential to improve 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, such as life expectancy or population aging.Conclusion: 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.

کلیدواژه ها:

Digital Health ، Health equity ، Systematic Review