Cost-Effective Chronic Disease Management in Saudi Arabia: The Role of Digital Health Technologies: Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity impose a significant economic and healthcare burden on Saudi Arabia. This review attempts to determine the impact of digital health technologies, including telemedicine, mobile health applications, and remote monitoring solutions, for improving chronic disease management and patient outcomes as envisioned in Saudi Vision 2030. The review adopted qualitative data research from selected sources with peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2024. After thorough screening based on PRISMA guidelines, 21 articles out of 12,345 were selected that met the inclusion criteria. Chronic diseases are indicated to place a heavy economic and healthcare burden, with scalability and sustainability limited for the care models currently available. Digital health solutions, which include telemedicine, mobile health applications, and wearable devices, were presented as cost-effective alternatives that could be easily used to optimize patient outcomes. However, this process faces challenges like the lack of digital literacy, privacy concerns, and cultural issues in more widespread adoption. Key gaps such as evidence-based, context-specific, scalable, and effective interventions in this setting for Saudi Arabia are identified in the literature. This study gives policymakers, healthcare providers, and technology developers the actionable insights they need to revolutionize chronic disease management.