Application of mobile healthcare in self-management of patients with spinal cord injury:a scoping review

YAO Ruifa; MENG Xiangxia; DING Yi; LIU Yuan; WANG Wei

doi:10.12102/j.issn.2095-8668.2025.18.009

Abstract：Objective: To conduct a scoping review of research on the application of mobile health in self-management of spinal cord injury patients, identify the intervention elements of mobile health and its application effects, and provide references for the practice of self-management in spinal cord injury patients. Methods: Based on the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review guidelines as the methodological framework, systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, EMbase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, CNKI, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and China Biological Medicine Database for studies related to self-management of spinal cord injury patients. The search period was from the establishment of the databases to December 2024. The included literature was summarized and analyzed. Results: A total of 18 papers were included. The main forms of mobile health include applications, online communication software, remote rehabilitation systems, and online education platforms. The self-management themes cover various aspects of disease management for spinal cord injury patients, mainly including bladder management, pressure ulcer management, physical activity management, and psychological management. Outcome indicators include physiological indicators, psychological indicators, self-management indicators, and feasibility indicators. Conclusion: The feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of mobile health in the self-management of spinal cord injury patients have been preliminarily verified. Future high-quality randomized controlled trials are still needed to further validate the long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of mobile health. At the same time, by referring to and learning from foreign experiences, the mobile health services for self-management of spinal cord injury patients in China should be further optimized to comprehensively meet the health management needs of patients.