| Sumario: | Background: The increased use of digital technologies in adult social care is a growing priority for governments globally. This includes the use of information and communication technologies by social care professionals to communicate with adults with social care needs. As part of this, synchronous virtual communication can be used by individuals to access social care services. This systematic review and narrative synthesis of the international literature explored individuals' experiences accessing services using synchronous virtual communication. Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed to systematically search for studies reporting on experiences of adults with social care needs using synchronous virtual communication to interact with social care. Systematic searches were conducted across PubMed, CINAHL, SCIE and Social Services Abstracts to identify literature published between January 2020 and November 2024. Google and Google Scholar were searched for the grey literature. The quality appraisal of the included literature was conducted using the appropriate Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Themes and subthemes were identified in the process of narrative synthesis. Results: Out of 6172 screened abstracts, 18 articles were selected for inclusion. The narrative synthesis led to the identification of both 'digital exclusion' and 'digital inclusion', as well as subthemes that explain these phenomena. These included evidence of exclusion due to a 'lack of availability', 'lack of capacity' and 'security concerns', and evidence of inclusion due to 'the adaptability of social care' and the 'positive individual experiences' of some adults. Limitations: Studies often grouped social care together with health care, so it was not always possible to know that the extracted data spoke directly to our research question. Conclusion: The roll‐out of synchronous virtual communication within adult social care excluded some individuals but also benefited others, suggesting that a nuanced approach is required to ensure equitable access.
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