Impact of digital patient-facing tools on patient-provider relationship during care for patients with chronic condition(s): a meta-synthesis of qualitative literature

Condition or domain being studied Chronic Disease; Shared Decision Making; Patient-physician communication; Provider satisfaction; Consultation; Patient monitoring ; Digital health; Remote Consultation; Digital health technologies; Remote digital monitoring ; Telemedicine Rationale for the review Patient-provider relationships have several dimensions including relational (trust, empathy, bond), informational (communication, transparency), and organizational (continuity, accessibility) (Wassef, Ma et al. 2025). These relationships are also associated with treatment and medication, adherence, care satisfaction, and improved health outcomes for those with chronic health conditions (Thorne 2006). Growing use of digital tools in routine care (apps, portals, chatbots, remote monitoring, etc.) shifts how patients interact with their providers (Chen, Ding et al. 2023),(Lenfant, Ravaud et al. 2023). Although implementation continues to accelerate, the impact of patient-facing digital health on the quality and nature of the patient–provider relationship during chronic illness care remains underexplored (Weiner 2012),(Gong, Shi et al. 2025). There are divergent findings regarding the benefits and risks of such technologies on the patient-provider relationship. Potential benefits to the patient–provider relationship includ accessibility/continuity of care, accessibility to own medical information, asynchronous communication, transparency/empowerment, self-monitoring, and shared decision-making (Iroegbu, Tuot et al. 2025). These co-exist with potential risks and challenges (erosion of personal connection: reduced non-verbal cues and empathy gaps in virtual care. Moreover, the digital divide, including inequalities in access, literacy and use, trust and privacy concerns as well as blurred lines between the personal and professional boundaries, may negatively impact the patient-provider relationship (Anastasiadou, Mpogiatzidis et al. 2025). At the time of this review, no meta-synthesis has been performed that focuses specifically on how digital patient-facing tools impact the patient provider relationship during chronic illness care. These results will help guide the development and implementation of digital tools in the patients' journeys. Review objectives How does the use of digital patient-facing tools impact the patient-provider relationship during care for patients with chronic condition(s)?