Global Landscape of Telehealth Interventions for Type 2 Diabetes Self-Care: A Scoping Review of Nursing Roles, Care Models, and Outcomes.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) requires ongoing self-care support to minimize preventable complications. Telehealth interventions have the potential to extend diabetes self-management education and support beyond conventional face-to-face care. However, the specific contributions of nursing roles, conceptual frameworks, and digital care architectures have not been comprehensively synthesized.
This scoping review aimed to map global evidence on telehealth interventions for T2DM self-care.
The review was conducted in accordance with Arksey and O'Malley's framework, JBI scoping review guidance, and the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. Electronic databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, EBSCOhost, Scopus, Taylor AND Francis Online, ScienceDirect, and Sage Journals, were systematically searched for empirical studies published between January 1, 2021, to June 26, 2026, examining telehealth, mHealth, telenursing, or digital self-care interventions for adults with T2DM involving nursing or nursing-relevant digital care component. Data were charted using the systematic table and synthesized through descriptive and thematic analysis.
A total of 26 studies were included, representing diverse models such as app-based self-management, messaging platforms, telemonitoring, virtual education, EHR-supported discharge pathways, virtual group visits, and comprehensive telehealth. Nursing roles were categorized as digital education, clinical monitoring, care coordination, behavioral coaching, medication and follow-through support, peer-support moderation, and digital onboarding. Of the 26 included studies, nine (34.6%) were classified as nurse-led, five (19.2%) as nurse-supported, seven (26.9%) as multidisciplinary/team-based, and five (19.2%) had insufficient reporting to isolate a nurse-specific intervention role. Interventions featuring structured nurse involvement, individualized feedback, theory-informed behavior-change strategies, and escalation pathways demonstrated the most consistent improvements in self-care behaviors and selected glycemic outcomes, particularly HbA1c and fasting blood glucose.
Telehealth interventions for T2DM self-care should be regarded as hybrid care models rather than solely technology-based tools. The synthesized evidence supports nurse-mediated, theory-informed, and equity-sensitive digital diabetes care, while underscoring the need for improved reporting on nursing scope, digital engagement, clinical escalation, fidelity, cost, and implementation context.
This scoping review aimed to map global evidence on telehealth interventions for T2DM self-care.
The review was conducted in accordance with Arksey and O'Malley's framework, JBI scoping review guidance, and the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. Electronic databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, EBSCOhost, Scopus, Taylor AND Francis Online, ScienceDirect, and Sage Journals, were systematically searched for empirical studies published between January 1, 2021, to June 26, 2026, examining telehealth, mHealth, telenursing, or digital self-care interventions for adults with T2DM involving nursing or nursing-relevant digital care component. Data were charted using the systematic table and synthesized through descriptive and thematic analysis.
A total of 26 studies were included, representing diverse models such as app-based self-management, messaging platforms, telemonitoring, virtual education, EHR-supported discharge pathways, virtual group visits, and comprehensive telehealth. Nursing roles were categorized as digital education, clinical monitoring, care coordination, behavioral coaching, medication and follow-through support, peer-support moderation, and digital onboarding. Of the 26 included studies, nine (34.6%) were classified as nurse-led, five (19.2%) as nurse-supported, seven (26.9%) as multidisciplinary/team-based, and five (19.2%) had insufficient reporting to isolate a nurse-specific intervention role. Interventions featuring structured nurse involvement, individualized feedback, theory-informed behavior-change strategies, and escalation pathways demonstrated the most consistent improvements in self-care behaviors and selected glycemic outcomes, particularly HbA1c and fasting blood glucose.
Telehealth interventions for T2DM self-care should be regarded as hybrid care models rather than solely technology-based tools. The synthesized evidence supports nurse-mediated, theory-informed, and equity-sensitive digital diabetes care, while underscoring the need for improved reporting on nursing scope, digital engagement, clinical escalation, fidelity, cost, and implementation context.