SynthesisBMC health services research2022
A systematic review on the usability of robotic and virtual reality devices in neuromotor rehabilitation: patients' and healthcare professionals' perspective.
Synthesis in BMC health services research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
37 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Robot-Assisted Therapy for Upper Limb Rehabilitation After Stroke: Umbrella Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- Combining robot-assisted therapy with virtual reality or using it alone? A systematic review on health-related quality of life in neurological patients.Health and quality of life outcomes · 2023Pooled it
- Immersive virtual reality with synchronous neurostimulation for upper-limb recovery after stroke: a randomized feasibility trial.Nature medicine · 2026Trial
- Immersive virtual reality upper-limb exercises in people with Parkinson's disease: an observer-blinded randomised controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2026Trial
- Characterizing the Effects of Adding Virtual and Augmented Reality in Robot-Assisted Training.IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society · 2024Trial
- Article
- FDA-Listed Interactive Devices for Home Movement Rehabilitation After Stroke: A Mixed-Methods Study of Availability, User Needs, Information Gaps, and an Accompanying Dataset.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Exploring Usability and User Engagement in Fully Immersive Virtual Reality Systems for Upper Limb Stroke Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review.Progress in rehabilitation medicine · 2026Review
- From usability to clinical impact: a systematic review of digital technologies for motor rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Review
- Clinical and psychological adjustment to prosthesis use in lower-limb amputees: focus on differences between traditional and high-technology rehabilitation.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2026Article
- Social robots in cognitive and speech rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy: a scoping review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2025Review
- Patient performance assessment methods for upper extremity rehabilitation in assist-as-needed therapy strategies: a comprehensive review.Medical & biological engineering & computing · 2025Review
- Developing an ecosystem of advanced digital services for healthy ageing by a co-creation methodology: preliminary results of the AGAPE project.Journal of public health research · 2025Article
- MovementVR: An open-source tool for the study of motor control and learning in virtual reality.ArXiv · 2025Article
- Acceptability and Usability of Smileyscope Virtual Reality for Paediatric Pain Management During Burn Procedures: Perspectives of Patients, Carers and Clinicians.Journal of advanced nursing · 2025Article
- Design and usability evaluation of an immersive virtual reality mirrored hand system for upper limb stroke rehabilitation.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Exergame (ExerG)-Based Physical-Cognitive Training for Rehabilitation in Adults With Motor and Balance Impairments: Usability Study.JMIR serious games · 2025Article
- Bound by Experience: Updating the Body Representation When Using Virtual Objects.Human factors · 2025Article
- Exploring New Tools in Upper Limb Rehabilitation After Stroke Using an Exoskeletal Aid: A Pilot Randomized Control Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality for Motor Neurorehabilitation: Scoping Review Focused on the Role of Body Representation.JMIR XR and spatial computing · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe application of virtual reality (VR) and robotic devices in neuromotor rehabilitation has provided promising evidence in terms of efficacy, so far. Usability evaluations of these technologies have been conducted extensively, but no overviews on this topic have been reported yet.
methodsA systematic review of the studies on patients' and healthcare professionals' perspective through searching of PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsychINFO (2000 to 2021) was conducted. Descriptive data regarding the study design, participants, technological devices, interventions, and quantitative and qualitative usability evaluations were extracted and meta-synthetized.
resultsSixty-eight studies were included. VR devices were perceived as having good usability and as a tool promoting patients' engagement and motivation during the treatment, as well as providing strong potential for customized rehabilitation sessions. By contrast, they suffered from the effect of learnability and were judged as potentially requiring more mental effort. Robotics implementation received positive feedback along with high satisfaction and perceived safety throughout the treatment. Robot-assisted rehabilitation was considered useful as it supported increased treatment intensity and contributed to improved patients' physical independence and psychosocial well-being. Technical and design-related issues may limit the applicability making the treatment difficult and physically straining. Moreover, cognitive and communication deficits were remarked as potential barriers.
conclusionsOverall, VR and robotic devices have been perceived usable so far, reflecting good acceptance in neuromotor rehabilitation programs. The limitations raised by the participants should be considered to further improve devices applicability and maximise technological rehabilitation effectiveness.
trial registrationPROSPERO registration ref. CRD42021224141 .
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.