Current Technology Developments Can Improve the Quality of Research and Level of Evidence for Rehabilitation Interventions: A Narrative Review
The current important limitations to the implementation of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in the rehabilitation field are related to the validation process of interventions. Indeed, most of the strict guidelines that have been developed for the validation of new drugs (i.e., double or triple blinded,...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/2/875 |
| _version_ | 1797437254205964288 |
|---|---|
| author | Bruno Bonnechère Annick Timmermans Sarah Michiels |
| author_facet | Bruno Bonnechère Annick Timmermans Sarah Michiels |
| author_sort | Bruno Bonnechère |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The current important limitations to the implementation of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in the rehabilitation field are related to the validation process of interventions. Indeed, most of the strict guidelines that have been developed for the validation of new drugs (i.e., double or triple blinded, strict control of the doses and intensity) cannot—or can only partially—be applied in rehabilitation. Well-powered, high-quality randomized controlled trials are more difficult to organize in rehabilitation (e.g., longer duration of the intervention in rehabilitation, more difficult to standardize the intervention compared to drug validation studies, limited funding since not sponsored by big pharma companies), which reduces the possibility of conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses, as currently high levels of evidence are sparse. The current limitations of EBP in rehabilitation are presented in this narrative review, and innovative solutions are suggested, such as technology-supported rehabilitation systems, continuous assessment, pragmatic trials, rehabilitation treatment specification systems, and advanced statistical methods, to tackle the current limitations. The development and implementation of new technologies can increase the quality of research and the level of evidence supporting rehabilitation, provided some adaptations are made to our research methodology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:17:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b6581594c4fe44d09913f5c5e46fc1ac |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:17:34Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-b6581594c4fe44d09913f5c5e46fc1ac2023-12-01T00:29:05ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202023-01-0123287510.3390/s23020875Current Technology Developments Can Improve the Quality of Research and Level of Evidence for Rehabilitation Interventions: A Narrative ReviewBruno Bonnechère0Annick Timmermans1Sarah Michiels2REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, BelgiumREVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, BelgiumREVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, BelgiumThe current important limitations to the implementation of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in the rehabilitation field are related to the validation process of interventions. Indeed, most of the strict guidelines that have been developed for the validation of new drugs (i.e., double or triple blinded, strict control of the doses and intensity) cannot—or can only partially—be applied in rehabilitation. Well-powered, high-quality randomized controlled trials are more difficult to organize in rehabilitation (e.g., longer duration of the intervention in rehabilitation, more difficult to standardize the intervention compared to drug validation studies, limited funding since not sponsored by big pharma companies), which reduces the possibility of conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses, as currently high levels of evidence are sparse. The current limitations of EBP in rehabilitation are presented in this narrative review, and innovative solutions are suggested, such as technology-supported rehabilitation systems, continuous assessment, pragmatic trials, rehabilitation treatment specification systems, and advanced statistical methods, to tackle the current limitations. The development and implementation of new technologies can increase the quality of research and the level of evidence supporting rehabilitation, provided some adaptations are made to our research methodology.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/2/875rehabilitationnew technologyvalidationstudy designmethods |
| spellingShingle | Bruno Bonnechère Annick Timmermans Sarah Michiels Current Technology Developments Can Improve the Quality of Research and Level of Evidence for Rehabilitation Interventions: A Narrative Review Sensors rehabilitation new technology validation study design methods |
| title | Current Technology Developments Can Improve the Quality of Research and Level of Evidence for Rehabilitation Interventions: A Narrative Review |
| title_full | Current Technology Developments Can Improve the Quality of Research and Level of Evidence for Rehabilitation Interventions: A Narrative Review |
| title_fullStr | Current Technology Developments Can Improve the Quality of Research and Level of Evidence for Rehabilitation Interventions: A Narrative Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Current Technology Developments Can Improve the Quality of Research and Level of Evidence for Rehabilitation Interventions: A Narrative Review |
| title_short | Current Technology Developments Can Improve the Quality of Research and Level of Evidence for Rehabilitation Interventions: A Narrative Review |
| title_sort | current technology developments can improve the quality of research and level of evidence for rehabilitation interventions a narrative review |
| topic | rehabilitation new technology validation study design methods |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/2/875 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brunobonnechere currenttechnologydevelopmentscanimprovethequalityofresearchandlevelofevidenceforrehabilitationinterventionsanarrativereview AT annicktimmermans currenttechnologydevelopmentscanimprovethequalityofresearchandlevelofevidenceforrehabilitationinterventionsanarrativereview AT sarahmichiels currenttechnologydevelopmentscanimprovethequalityofresearchandlevelofevidenceforrehabilitationinterventionsanarrativereview |