[Systematic Review] of Mobile Health Applications in Rehabilitation – Full Text

Article Outline

1. Methods
   1. Data sources
   2. Study selection
      1. Inclusion criteria
      2. Exclusion criteria
   3. Data extraction
   4. Data synthesis and analysis
2. Results
   1. Stroke apps
   2. Musculoskeletal apps
   3. Spinal cord injury apps
   4. Traumatic brain injury apps
   5. Cardiac apps
   6. Pulmonary apps
   7. Neurological apps
   8. Cancer and pain apps
   9. Nonspecific and general rehab apps
   10. Measurement tools apps
   11. Study designs and quality
3. Discussion
   1. Emergent themes
   2. Study limitations
   3. Future recommendations
   4. Integration potential and barriers
   5. Factors that will impact integration
   6. Regulation of medical mobile applications
4. Conclusions
5. Supplementary data
6. References

Abstract

Objective

To conduct systematic review to better define how medical mobile applications (apps) have been used in environments relevant to physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Data Sources

PUBMED, IEEE, ACM Digital Library, SCOPUS, INSPEC, and EMBASE.

Study Selection

A 10-year date limit was used, spanning publication dates from June 1, 2006, to June 30, 2016. Terms related to physical medicine and rehabilitation as well as mobile apps were used in 10 individual search strategies.

Data Extraction

Two investigators screened abstracts and applied inclusion and exclusion criteria. Full-length articles were retrieved. Duplicate articles were removed. If a study met all criteria, the article was reviewed in full.

Data Synthesis

Specific variables of interest were extracted and added to summary tables. Summary tables were used to categorize studies according themes, and a list of app features was generated.

Conclusions

The search yielded abstracts from 8116 studies, and 102 studies were included in the systematic review. Approximately one-third of the studies evaluated apps as interventions, and the remaining two-thirds of the studies assessed functioning of the app or participant interaction with the app. Some apps may have positive benefits when used to deliver exercise or gait training interventions, as self-management systems, or as measurement tools.

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via Systematic Review of Mobile Health Applications in Rehabilitation – Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation