The Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation on Balance and Functional Mobility in Patients with Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the effectiveness of telerehabilitation on improving balance and functional mobility in stroke survivors. Methods: Comprehensive searching was conducted from inception to May 2022. The inclusion criteria were studies...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mohamed Salaheldien Alayat, Nahla Ahmad Almatrafi, Abdulqader Abdulrazaq Almutairi, Amir Abdel Raouf El Fiky, Ahmed Mohamed Elsodany
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University Library System, University of Pittsburgh 2022-12-01
Series:International Journal of Telerehabilitation
Subjects:
Online Access:http://telerehab.pitt.edu/ojs/Telerehab/article/view/6532
Description
Summary:Objective: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the effectiveness of telerehabilitation on improving balance and functional mobility in stroke survivors. Methods: Comprehensive searching was conducted from inception to May 2022. The inclusion criteria were studies evaluating the effectiveness of telerehabilitation in stroke survivors. Data regarding participants, intervention, outcome measures, and main results were extracted. PEDro scale and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) were used to assess the methodological quality and quality of evidence, respectively. Data Analysis: A total of fourteen articles )594 patients) were included. A meta-analysis using a random-effect model was performed on thirteen studies )530 patients). Standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated for balance and functional mobility. Results: PEDro scale revealed ten good-quality studies, three fair-quality studies, and one poor-quality study. According to the available evidence, telerehabilitation has a small effect size in improving both balance (SMD 0.33 [95% CI 0.03 to 0.63]; P =0.03; low quality of evidence) and functional mobility (SMD 0.27 [95% CI 0.02 to 0.52]; P =0.03; low quality of evidence). Conclusion: Telerehabilitation may improve balance and functional mobility in stroke survivors. However, it is evident that more high-quality research is required due to the existence of low to very low-quality evidence with limited confidence in the effect estimate. Registration: PROSPERO registration number (CRD42022306410).
ISSN:1945-2020