Application of AI in Hypertension Health Education: Scoping Review

Abstract

Abstract Background Hypertension is a major global health challenge, and effective health education is crucial for improving patients’ self-management. Traditional health education approaches are often limited by insufficient personalization, accessibility, and scalability. Artificial intelligence (AI), including natural language processing, machine learning, and large language models (LLMs), offers promising solutions to address these limitations. However, evidence regarding AI applications in hypertension health education has not been comprehensively synthesized. Objective This scoping review aimed to summarize the current evidence on AI applications in hypertension health education, and identify research gaps to inform future research and practice. Methods This review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. Six databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and Scopus) were searched from January 2015 to June 2026. Eligibility criteria were developed using the participant-concept-context framework. Two reviewers independently conducted study screening and data extraction. Study designs were classified using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool framework. Consistent with scoping review methodology, no formal quality assessment was performed. Findings were synthesized narratively and presented using evidence gap maps, tables, and figures. Results A total of 24 studies from 11 countries were included, comprising 6 randomized controlled trials, 4 nonrandomized trials, 11 quantitative descriptive studies, and 3 mixed methods studies. Most studies were published between 2024 and 2026. In total, 3 AI application scenarios were identified: rule-based health education, data-driven adaptive health education, and generative AI–driven health education. Natural language processing was the most widely applied technology, and LLM-based applications increased rapidly after 2023. However, generative AI studies were predominantly proof-of-concept evaluations and lacked randomized clinical validation. Health education was rarely implemented as a standalone intervention and was typically embedded within multifunctional AI platforms. Outcomes were categorized using the Digital Health Scorecard Framework across 4 domains: technology, clinical, usability, and cost. Technical accuracy and blood pressure outcomes were the most frequently reported measures, whereas no study evaluated economic outcomes. Conclusions This first scoping review of AI applications in hypertension health education identified a mismatch between rapid advances in generative AI and the limited availability of rigorous clinical evidence. Three major research gaps were identified: (1) the lack of standardized core outcome sets covering technical, behavioral, clinical, and implementation domains; (2) limited development of hybrid architectures integrating LLM with structured medical knowledge bases; and (3) the absence of evaluation frameworks that satisfy both regulatory and implementation requirements. AI appears most suitable as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, clinician-delivered education. Future research should prioritize rigorous clinical validation, economic evaluation, multicultural adaptation, and health literacy equity to ensure that AI-driven health education reduces rather than exacerbates disparities in hypertension control.