Effects of e-educational programmes among older adults with non-communicable diseases: a protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide, and NCDs account for 61.4% of all disability-adjusted life years worldwide. The global cost of NCDs is estimated to exceed 30 trillion dollars over the period 2011-2030, representing 48% of the global gross domestic product. Older adults are the common group affected by NCDs, characterised by an insidious onset, a long course, and a protracted illness. The incidence of these diseases is increasing every year, posing a severe threat to human health and quality of life. E-educational programmes about NCDs are essential for older adults because they are the main body of patients with NCDs, and their understanding of health is uneven and inaccurate. This protocol describes a systematic review to determine the effectiveness of e-educational programme methods for NCDs in older adults. This protocol aims to summarise and critically evaluate the impact of e-educational programmes on older adult patients with NCDs and to provide direction for developing interventions to improve their quality of life and NCD health management programmes.Methods and analysis The search was performed in the databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, MEDLINE, China Biology Medicine, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wan Fang Data using established search terms. All randomised controlled trials on e-educational programmes for patients with NCDs published in recent 10 years (2013-2023) will be included. The risk of bias in the included study will be assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool after two authors have independently screened the literature. With regard to the quality of the evidence, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation analysis will be used. If the data are aggregated, then meta-analysis will be performed using RevMan V.5.4.PROSPERO registration number CRD42023455272.