Abstract
Digital biofeedback systems (DBSs) are used in physical rehabilitation to improve outcomes by engaging and educating patients and have the potential to support patients while doing targeted exercises during home rehabilitation. The components of feedback (mode, content, frequency and timing) can influence motor learning and engagement in various ways. The feedback design used in DBSs for targeted exercise home rehabilitation, as well as the evidence underpinning the feedback and how it is evaluated, is not clearly known. To explore these concepts, we conducted a scoping review where an electronic search of PUBMED, PEDro and ACM digital libraries was conducted from January 2000 to July 2019. The main inclusion criteria included DBSs for targeted exercises, in a home rehabilitation setting, which have been tested on a clinical population. Nineteen papers were reviewed, detailing thirteen different DBSs. Feedback was mainly visual, concurrent and descriptive, frequently providing knowledge of results. Three systems provided clear rationale for the use of feedback. Four studies conducted specific evaluations of the feedback, and seven studies evaluated feedback in a less detailed or indirect manner. Future studies should describe in detail the feedback design in DBSs and consider a robust evaluation of the feedback element of the intervention to determine its efficacy.
Highlights
Biofeedback is a well-established technique in physical rehabilitation which aims to improve treatment outcomes by educating and engaging patients [1]
We conducted a scoping review following guidelines provided by Arksey et al [33] to answer the following research questions: how is biofeedback currently being applied in digital targeted-exercise home rehabilitation tools? Is the type of feedback used justified by rationale or evaluation? A systematic search strategy was used to identify relevant papers
A total of 19 studies, describing 13 different biofeedback systems were identified for inclusion in this review
Summary
Biofeedback is a well-established technique in physical rehabilitation which aims to improve treatment outcomes by educating and engaging patients [1]. It involves providing an individual with additional information (feedback) on a physiological parameter, allowing the individual to influence the physiological parameter based on the feedback [2,3]. Biofeedback is a type of extrinsic feedback, meaning it is provided by forces external to the body, and is distinct from intrinsic feedback, which is information provided by an individual’s sensory systems.
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