Examining Practices Related to Ethical Aspects in eHealth Evaluation Research: Protocol for a Scoping Review

TL;DR

This study reviews how ethical issues are addressed in eHealth research, focusing on technologies for cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Contribution

It introduces a scoping review protocol to map ethical considerations in eHealth evaluation research.

Findings

Initial search identified 3321 articles on eHealth evaluations from 2014 to 2024.

The review will use JBI and PRISMA-ScR methods to analyze ethical aspects in eHealth studies.

Results will inform practical guidance for integrating ethics in eHealth evaluation research.

Abstract

eHealth technologies, including remote patient monitoring (RPM) applications, have the potential to improve care for diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular conditions. However, they also raise ethical aspects that are often inadequately addressed in eHealth evaluation research. This is problematic, as evaluations guide decision-making at multiple levels. To improve evaluation practices, it is essential to understand how ethical aspects are addressed in terms of both content and methodology, enabling the development of tailored recommendations for enhancement.

This scoping review systematically examines how ethical aspects are addressed in eHealth research, focusing on original studies evaluating RPM applications for cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines, this review implemented a comprehensive search strategy with the terms “cancer or cardiovascular diseases,” “eHealth or telemonitoring,” and “evaluation designs.” Searches included MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, SocINDEX, Philosopher’s Index, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Data extraction will emphasize ethical aspects and methodological approaches to consider them. The analysis will apply inductive-deductive qualitative content analysis.

Initial searches identified 3321 articles published between 2014 and August 2024. Screening and analysis will be completed in the first quarter of 2025, with results anticipated by summer 2025.

Overlooking ethical aspects in evaluation studies can significantly impact eHealth practices. This scoping review will map ethical considerations in original evaluation research, identifying opportunities for more holistic integration of ethics and informing future practical guidance.

OSF Registries OSF.IO/7XAFV; https://osf.io/7xafv/

DERR1-10.2196/60849

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