Telehealth-Supported Exercise or Physical Activity Programs for Knee Osteoarthritis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The integration of telehealth-supported programs in chronic disease management has become increasingly common. However, its effectiveness for individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) remains unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of telehealth-supported exercise or physical activity programs for individuals with KOA.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search encompassing Embase, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, PEDro, GreyNet, and medRxiv from inception to September 2023 was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials comparing telehealth-supported exercise or physical activity programs to a control condition for KOA. Data were extracted and qualitatively synthesized across eligible studies, and a meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effects. The study was reported according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) 2020.

Results: In total, 23 studies met eligibility criteria, with 20 included in the meta-analysis. Results showed that telehealth-supported exercise or physical activity programs reduced pain (g=-0.39; 95% CI -0.67 to -0.11; P<.001), improved physical activity (g=0.13; 95% CI 0.03-0.23; P=.01), and enhanced physical function (g=-0.51; 95% CI -0.98 to -0.05; P=.03). Moreover, significant improvements in quality of life (g=0.25; 95% CI 0.14-0.36; P<.001), self-efficacy for pain (g=0.72; 95% CI 0.53-0.91; P<.001), and global improvement (odds ratio 2.69, 95% CI 1.41-5.15; P<.001) were observed. However, self-efficacy for physical function (g=0.14; 95% CI -0.26 to 0.53; P=.50) showed insignificant improvements. Subgroup analyses based on the World Health Organization classification of digital health (pain: χ²₂=6.5; P=.04 and physical function: χ²₂=6.4; P=.04), the type of teletechnology in the intervention group (pain: χ²₄=4.8; P=.31 and function: χ²₄=13.0; P=.01), and active or inactive controls (pain: χ²₁=5.3; P=.02 and physical function: χ²₁=3.4; P=.07) showed significant subgroup differences.

Conclusions: Telehealth-supported exercise or physical activity programs might reduce knee pain and improve physical activity, physical function, quality of life, self-efficacy, and global improvement in individuals with KOA. Future research should consider longer implementation durations and assess the feasibility of incorporating wearables and standardized components into large-scale interventions to evaluate the effects.

Trial registration: PROSPERO CRD42022359658; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=359658.