Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36184611›Full record

ReviewArchives of physiotherapy2022

Do digital interventions increase adherence to home exercise rehabilitation? A systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

Sabine Lang, Colin McLelland, Donnie MacDonald, David F Hamilton

Open access · diamondAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Archives of physiotherapy, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
55citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
7.2field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

55 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 66 citations in OpenAlex.

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  12. Feasibility of a remote and home-based personalised exercise programme in cancer survivors with lymphoedema.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Sabine LangSchool of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, 9 Sighthill Court, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, UK.
Colin McLellandSchool of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, 9 Sighthill Court, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, UK.
Donnie MacDonaldSchool of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, 9 Sighthill Court, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, UK.
David F HamiltonSchool of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, 9 Sighthill Court, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, UK. d.hamilton@napier.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9060-9255
Edinburgh Napier University · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHome exercise regimes are a well-utilised rehabilitation intervention for many conditions; however, adherence to prescribed programmes remains low. Digital interventions are recommended as an adjunct to face-to-face interventions by the National Health Service in the UK and may offer increased exercise adherence, however the evidence for this is conflicting.

methodA systematic review was undertaken using MEDLINE and CINAHL databases using the PRISMA guidelines. Randomised controlled trials in any clinical population evaluating the adherence to prescribed home exercise interventions with and without additional digital interventions were included. Publication quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.

resultsThe search strategy returned a total of 1336 articles, of which 10 randomised controlled trials containing data for 1117 participants were eligible for inclusion. 565 participants were randomised to receive the interventions, and 552 to the control. Seven of the ten trials reported a significant difference in adherence between the control and intervention groups favouring an additional digital intervention. Three trials reported equivalent findings. These three reported longer-term outcomes, suggesting an interaction between adherence and duration of intervention. There was substantial heterogeneity in outcome assessment metrics used across the trials prohibiting formal meta-analysis. This included studies were of low to moderate quality in terms of risk of bias.

conclusionThe addition of a digital interventions to prescribed home exercise programmes can likely increase exercise adherence in the short term, with longer term effects less certain.

Indexed as

AdherenceDigital interventionsExercisePhysical activitySystematic review

Identifiers

PMID36184611
PMCPMC9527092
OpenAlexW4299878812

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.