A systematic review on the effect of ICT on social support measures in healthcare

Background: With increased popularity in the use of ICT in healthcare to provide support to individuals, it is imperative to investigate the impact of ICT on social support measures in health and social care. Objective: This study aims to review literature on the effectiveness of ICT-based tools and intervention on social support measures with reference to health and illness. Methods: Relevant databases (PubMed\MEDLINE, clinicaltrials.gov and Cochrane Library) were systematically searched using a combination of key search terms. To be included in the review, studies had to be published in English language, involve human subjects, be published between 2000 and 2017, apply ICT intervention on a health-related condition and report the effect of ICT on social support measures. Results: The database search returned 4020 articles. After screening, 30 eligible papers were selected for the review. The studies were quite heterogeneous in terms of study design, age of participants, reported outcome, outcome measuring tool and health condition of participants. 20% of included studies were rated as low quality evidence, with a high risk of research bias. Over 75% of reviewed studies reported positive impact of ICT on social support measures. The results show that ICT interventions have a statistically significant positive impact on social support measures. Social network was found to be the ICT intervention with the most impact on social support measures. Conclusion: There is need for more high quality research on the effect of ICT on social support measures. The results of this systematic review suggest that ICT could effectively provide social support to individuals, although the degree of its effect could depend on the nature of ICT tool used and the well-being status of individuals. Further work in the use of ICT to provide social support for preventive healthcare is recommended. Also, more research investigating the effect of using Smartphone-based instant messaging applications (such as WhatsApp and Snapchat) and virtual reality technology on social support is encouraged.