Home-based telerehabilitation in multiple sclerosis: a scoping review

Abstract

BackgroundIntroducing home-based telerehabilitation (TR) approaches helps clinical experts to choose appropriate and effective interventions and researchers identify knowledge gaps to design clinical trial studies and systematic reviews.PurposeThis study aimed to review the knowledge of home-based TR in multiple sclerosis.MethodThis scoping review study was conducted based on Arksey and O'Malley’s five-step approach. The Embase, PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Sciences, Scopus and ProQuest databases were searched in 2017–2024 to find full-text English-language articles.FindingsIn 25 studies reviewed, various and extensive home-based interventions have been used in physical and cognitive aspects.ConclusionHome-based rehabilitation is applicable, useful, safe and affordable, maintains the continuity of the rehabilitation process and increases patients’ adherence to the rehabilitation programme. However, there are challenges such as patients’ lack of familiarity with technology and limitations of outcome measurement tools that should be addressed in future studies.