Digital health research can be positive for Indigenous people.

Electronic health interventions (eHealth) can involve features such as telehealth, instant messaging, and mobile apps that support health care.

But testing what kinds of eHealth work for Indigenous people – and what don’t – relies on good quality research. And so far there hasn’t been strong, overarching guidance on what culturally safe eHealth looks like for Indigenous people.

Researchers reviewed 39 studies about eHealth interventions for Indigenous people. They wanted to identify what made eHealth interventions effective, beneficial, and culturally safe for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities involved.

Here’s what they found.