Health Information Technology Use Among Healthcare Providers Treating Children and Adolescents With Obesity: a Systematic Review

A systematic review was performed to synthesize the latest evidence of health information technology (HIT) used by healthcare professionals to address overweight/obesity among children and adolescents. This literature has not been summarized since 2012 despite the rapidly changing nature of HIT, the millions of federal healthcare dollars invested in the last decade, and the continued burden of childhood obesity and associated metabolic diseases. Three databases were searched from January, 2012 to August, 2020. Experimental and quasi-experimental studies, including pilot and feasibility studies, using HIT to address obesity and behavior (physical activity and nutrition) change among children and adolescents aged 2-18 years were included. Studies were required to report the impact on clinical/behavioral outcomes or care processes (e.g., body mass index (BMI) screening). Twenty-five studies met inclusion criteria. In sum, HIT tools improved care processes (e.g., screening rates), yet it remains unclear whether improvements in care processes translate to changes in clinical/behavioral outcomes (e.g., BMI). The majority of studies included implementation outcomes, yet outcomes were mainly operationalized as satisfaction and lacked diversity. Studies commonly used a patient-centered approach, yet rarely employed precision medicine to individualize care based on the patient’s data. Few studies specifically targeted disadvantaged populations or social determinants of health and/or used behavioral theory. High quality, rigorous efficacy, and effectiveness studies are needed to address the knowledge gaps in this emerging field of science.