Effectiveness of mobile health interventions on quality of life for oral cancer: a systematic review

Oral cancer remains an important public health concern and aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-being. SDG target 3.4 emphasises reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases, including oral cancer, by one-third by 2030. Early screening significantly cuts mortality, and mobile health (mHealth) applications have emerged as tools to enhance education, early detection, diagnosis, and follow-up care in oral cancer treatment and management. To evaluate the effectiveness of mHealth applications in the screening, diagnosis, follow-up, and management of oral cancer. A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and registered with PROSPERO (CRD420250436761). Searching in PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE included articles from 1st January 2000 to 31st December 2024. Studies were included if they focused on mHealth use in oral cancer screening and management. After screening 1352 studies and applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 11 studies were selected. Data was extracted on study design, population, intervention type, outcomes, and involvement of healthcare professionals. Quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Among the 11 included studies, 7 demonstrated mHealth effectiveness in early screening using AI-supported image capture and remote expert consultations. Four studies addressed follow-up care, patient education, and symptom monitoring. Apps like Memosa, Oncogrid, RMA, and HNC Virtual Coach supported real-time data entry and communication. Only 5 studies involved healthcare workers, and none evaluated school health nurses or nutritional assessments, highlighting gaps in integrated care. mHealth applications hold promise for enhancing access to oral cancer screening and follow-up. Their effectiveness is strengthened when integrated into health systems and supported by trained professionals, particularly nurses and community health workers. Future strategies should encompass standardised protocols, nutritional counselling, and school-based initiatives to increase their impact and alignment with SDG 3.