Emerging digital technologies to improve health outcomes in people with intellectual disability: A scoping review
Stefan C. Michalski, Tobias Loetscher, Rachael C. Cvejic, Julian N. TrollorBackground
People with intellectual disability experience higher rates of multi-morbidity, preventable deaths, and barriers to healthcare access compared to the general population. Emerging digital technologies may address these disparities, but evidence examining their application, effectiveness, and feasibility for people with intellectual disability remains fragmented across multiple disciplines.
Objective
To examine applications of emerging digital technologies for health outcomes in people with intellectual disability across health domains over the past decade.
Design
Scoping review conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines.
Method
Systematic searches were conducted across PsycINFO, PubMed, and IEEE Xplore in June 2025. Studies were included if they reported on emerging digital technologies (excluding telehealth) supporting health outcomes for people with intellectual disability, presented quantitative or qualitative data, and were published from 2015-2025.
Results
Thirty-six studies were included, spanning seven health domains. Physical activity and motor skills were the most frequently addressed domains, whilst healthcare access and mental health remained underexplored. Technologies included gaming consoles, head-mounted displays, mobile applications, and augmented and mixed reality technology. Most interventions reported improvements in primary outcomes including physical fitness, balance, anxiety reduction, and skill acquisition.
Conclusion
Emerging digital technologies demonstrate feasibility and safety for people with intellectual disability across multiple health domains. To date, research has focused on physical health using consumer technologies. Future research should expand to healthcare access and mental health interventions, involve people with intellectual disability in co-design, and demonstrate pathways to independent use in home and community settings to address documented health disparities.