Objective  This study systematically and comprehensively reviewed the randomized controlled trials (RCT) of digital health interventions (DHIs) applied to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) both domestically and internationally, demonstrating the current clinical research status of DHIs on COPD.

Methods  The databases of CNKI, WanFang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched from the inception to 12 March 2025. The retrieved literature was screened and analyzed based on the normative process, and the results were presented through visualization methods.

Results  A total of 110 articles were included ultimately, of which 74 in English and 36 in Chinese, involving 104 studies. The earliest one was published in 2005, and the overall volume of literature showed an increasing trend. The majority of participants were over 50 years of age, the sample size of the studies ranged from 37 to 1,225 cases, with the largest number of articles (30.91%) ranging from 80 to 120 cases. A total of 59 articles had an intervention duration of 6 months or less, and the follow- up time was usually within 6 months (56.36%). The top 3 DHIs platform pathways in terms of frequency of use were telephone (64.55%), platform systems (63.64%), and video (conference) (51.82%). The providers of DHIs were mainly clinical medical staff, and the intervention guidance content was mainly about medication (73.64%) and rehabilitation exercises (62.73%). Most literature supported that DHIs improved laboratory indicators, self- efficacy, exercise tolerance, compliance, disease progression and cognitive function in COPD patients, while there was controversy over psychological status and health economic assessment.

Conclusion  DHIs have potential development as a disease management tool for COPD patients. At present, intervention guidance mainly focuses on medication and lung rehabilitation exercise,  with a lack of attention to smoking cessation. Future research needs to improve the level of  intelligent application and implement report standards of DHIs, strengthen multidisciplinary and high-level team building, conduct high-quality clinical research, and provide evidence to support the application and promotion of DHIs in COPD patients.

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