Health Information Systems (HIS) in Home Care: A Rapid Review of Reviews on Benefit Dimensions

Background: Health Information Systems (HISs) are increasingly used to support home care, yet the benefits associated with their implementation remain inconsistently reported. Reported benefits vary widely in their definition, measurement, and methodological robustness, limiting the ability to draw clear conclusions about their value for patients, caregivers, providers, and health systems. Methods: We conducted a rapid review of reviews following the Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group, PRISMA and PRIOR guidelines. We searched four databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library) for systematic, scoping, and rapid reviews published between 2015 and 2025. We included reviews that examined the use of HISs in home care and reported benefit-related outcomes. Screening, data extraction, and verification were performed independently by multiple reviewers. We assessed methodological quality using AMSTAR 2 for systematic reviews and the JBI checklist for scoping reviews. Results: Nine reviews met the inclusion criteria. Reported benefits of HISs spanned five domains: patients, including improvements in autonomy, engagement, psychological well-being, self-management, and safety; informal caregivers, with reductions in burden and enhanced communication and support; providers and nurses, who experienced greater clinical responsiveness, improved assessment capacity, and more efficient workflows; healthcare delivery, with strengthened continuity, quality, safety, and accessibility of care; and organizations, which reported gains in administrative efficiency, resource utilization, cost reduction, and information management. Most benefits were narratively described, and evidence was predominantly from high-income settings. Conclusion: HISs play a significant role in advancing responsive, coordinated, and person-centred home care. Although positive impacts are evident across multiple dimensions of the care system, further research is needed to establish standardized benefit measures, examine long-term sustainability, and explore implementation in diverse health system contexts. Strengthening evaluation frameworks and supporting equitable digital adoption will be critical for maximizing the value of HISs in home care.