Are self-management digital interventions effective in improving health-related outcomes in patients with COPD? An umbrella review

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Respiratory rehabilitation programs are essential for patients with COPD, promoting not only functional capacity but also self-management. Nonetheless, traditional in-person approaches encounter significant barriers, such as limited participation, high dropout rates, and transient benefits after program completion. Self-management digital interventions offer a promising alternative by enhancing accessibility to support and improving health outcomes. While numerous systematic reviews have recently assessed the effectiveness of these digital interventions on health-related outcomes, a comprehensive umbrella review (UR) to synthesize and consolidate this growing body of evidence is still lacking. <bold>Aims and objectives:</bold> Assess the effectiveness of self-management digital interventions in improving health-related outcomes in patients with COPD. <bold>Methods:</bold> Following the JBI methodology, the UR was conducted from January 2024 to January 2025 (PROSPERO: CRD42024517476). A comprehensive search across multiple databases was performed to identify systematic reviews published in any language, spanning from their inception to the present. <bold>Results:</bold> 586 articles were identified, with 13 systematic reviews included in the analysis. Improvements were observed in quality of life, anxiety, depression, lung function, physical capacity and physical activity. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Despite promising results, evidence for self-management digital interventions remains weak, mainly due to heterogeneity in primary studies, highlighting the need for future research with standardized methodologies to ensure robust conclusions.