Effectiveness of Co-Creation for Chronic Disease Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective Co-creation is crucial for fostering active patient engagement in health management. However, the efficacy of co-creation in chronic disease management varies, and there is a lack of detailed description regarding co-creation practice. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of co-creation on health outcomes and cost-effectiveness, detailing its implementation. Data Source PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria We included peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials, published in English, that analyzed the effects of co-creation on physical health, participation outcomes, psychological health, self-efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Data Extraction Two researchers independently screened the articles and assessed the quality of the 16 included studies using a pre-prepared checklist. Data Synthesis Meta-analyses were conducted to summarize the characteristics, outcomes, and risk of bias of the included studies. Results The results showed that co-creation significantly enhanced patients’ physical health ( P = 0.006) and participation outcomes ( P = 0.009). Subgroup analysis revealed that co-creation combined with theory was better than co-creation without theory in improving physical health ( P = 0.007). However, no significant difference was observed between the two groups regarding psychological health, self-efficacy and cost-effectiveness ( P = 0.29) ( P = 0.11) ( P = 0.50). Conclusion Co-creation effectively improved patients’ physical health and participation outcomes, without affecting psychological health, self-efficacy, and cost-effectiveness. Social determinants were found to play a more crucial role in influencing physical health of patients. Additionally, age disparities might impact the cost-effectiveness of co-creation. Future research should explore the influence of intergenerational co-creation on health promotion.