Digital technology's role in supporting health professionals' communication with persons living with obesity and mental health issues: A scoping review

Background: Obesity and mental health issues are major public health concerns with a complex relationship. They share interconnections that significantly impair individuals’ physical, social, and mental well-being. Digital technology has emerged as a promising tool to facilitate communication between health professionals (HPs) and individuals living with obesity and mental health issues, but its role remains unclear.

Aim: To critique the literature on the role of digital technology in supporting HP communication with individuals dealing with obesity and mental health issues.

Methods: A comprehensive scoping review, guided by Arksey & O’Malley’s (2005) methodology, analysed literature from 2013-2023 across eight databases. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, and data extraction focused on HPs' communication technologies, their roles, technology types, biopsychosocial considerations, and perceptions of technology use.

Results: HPs, including psychologists, dietitians, and social workers, use digital technologies for virtual appointments, monitoring diet and mental health, and providing motivation and educational content. Digital technologies were inclusive of web-based platforms, social media groups, synchronous videos, telephone, automated SMS, and email. The findings indicate that digital technology does have a role in supporting HP communication with individuals dealing with obesity and mental health issues. This role includes enhancing the capacity of HPs to provide effective and accessible care to individuals dealing with obesity and mental health issues. Key findings highlight issues of miscommunication and conflicting messages, a need for an empathetic approach, a lack of personalisation to unique needs, and confusion regarding HP's roles in obesity and mental health care. Digital technologies have improved access to services and reduced stigma experienced with in-person evaluations, yet challenges persist in implementation, particularly in digitally underserved areas. Most notably, despite improvements in weight management in seven of the eight studies, none of the interventions showed any significant progress in mental health outcomes.

Conclusion: This review demonstrates the diverse application of digital technologies by HPs in communicating education, counselling and motivation to those with obesity and mental health issues. The digital technologies facilitate improved communication between HPs and clients, allowing for consistent monitoring and support in a stigma-reduced, private setting. While effective in obesity management, the review reveals a shortfall in addressing mental health needs, emphasising the necessity for digital tools to be more than just information channels, but also a means of understanding and meeting the service user needs.

Future Directions: The scoping review advocates for future research to focus on creating tailored digital interventions that cater to the complex biopsychosocial needs of individuals with obesity and mental health issues. This approach should incorporate a multidisciplinary perspective, aligning with the need to enhance workforce capacity and capability in the digital era. The findings emphasise the importance of digital technology in healthcare and the necessity for ongoing adaptation and innovation in HP communication strategies.