# Telemonitoring in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review

## TL;DR

This study finds that telemonitoring for adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease may be as effective as standard care and could reduce costs.

## Contribution

The study is the first to systematically review telemonitoring's effects specifically in adolescents with IBD.

## Key findings

- Telemonitoring may not worsen disease activity in adolescents with IBD.
- Telemonitoring likely reduces costs compared to standard care.
- There is low-certainty evidence for little to no improvement in quality of life with telemonitoring.

## Abstract

Telemonitoring could be an alternative for standard face-to-face consultations. In adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), telemonitoring has been associated with improved quality of life (QoL) and reduced costs. We aimed to assess whether telemonitoring of adolescents with IBD is non-inferior to standard care in controlling disease activity. We searched Medline and Embase up to June 15, 2025, for randomized trials comparing the effect of telemonitoring and standard care on disease activity in adolescents with IBD. Secondary outcomes were QoL, costs, patient satisfaction, patient adherence, face-to-face contacts, and emergency room attendances or hospitalizations. Risk of bias and certainty of evidence were assessed using the Risk of Bias 2 tool and GRADE, respectively. Data was synthesized and reported in accordance with the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SWiM) reporting guideline and the Cochrane Handbook. Three studies (309 patients) were identified. Risk of bias was judged “high” for one study and as “some concerns” for the remaining two studies. We found that telemonitoring may not worsen disease activity (low-certainty evidence) and may result in little to no improvement in QoL (low-certainty evidence) compared to standard care. Telemonitoring likely results in a slight cost reduction (moderate- certainty evidence). Conclusion: Telemonitoring may be non-inferior to standard care in controlling disease activity for adolescents with IBD.
What is Known:• Studies comparing telemonitoring with standard follow-up in adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) did not find a difference in disease activity or the occurrence of flares between these strategies.• Telemonitoring could improve quality of life and reduce costs and health care utilization in adults.What is New:• This systematic review exclusively reviews the effect of telemonitoring on adolescents with IBD.• Based on limited evidence, following adolescents with IBD with telemonitoring appears to be safe and may reduce the number of outpatient visits and societal costs.

What is Known:

• Studies comparing telemonitoring with standard follow-up in adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) did not find a difference in disease activity or the occurrence of flares between these strategies.

• Telemonitoring could improve quality of life and reduce costs and health care utilization in adults.

What is New:

• This systematic review exclusively reviews the effect of telemonitoring on adolescents with IBD.

• Based on limited evidence, following adolescents with IBD with telemonitoring appears to be safe and may reduce the number of outpatient visits and societal costs.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00431-025-06341-z.