Key result
Telerehabilitation in the MENA region is feasible, acceptable to patients, and effective in specific programs, though implementation is limited by infrastructure, training, and policy barriers.
Why the study?
Telerehabilitation research evidence from the Middle East and North Africa region needed to be summarized.
Does telerehabilitation improve rehabilitation access and outcomes compared to traditional services in the MENA region?
Systematic Review (n=621)
Does telerehabilitation improve rehabilitation access and outcomes compared to traditional services in the MENA region?
Telerehabilitation is a feasible and acceptable method to augment traditional rehabilitation services in the MENA region, though infrastructure and training barriers remain.
Supports cautious adoption to expand MENA access; extends global feasibility evidence to an underrepresented region.
A structured review using the PRISMA guidelines, MeSH keywords and eight health databases was conducted (1990 to March 2021). Telerehabilitation research evidence from the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) was summarized. Twelve studies from Iran, Israel, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia met inclusion criteria; nearly all had been published within the past five years. Methodological quality was moderate to good in the four randomized controlled trials, five cohort-studies and three cross-section surveys. There were seven intervention studies in cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, neurology or burn rehabilitation and three patient perception and two practitioner perception studies. Narrative synthesis revealed content themes relating to rehabilitation availability and accessibility; patient/practitioner perceptions of telerehabilitation; telerehabilitation to augment traditional services; and barriers to telerehabilitation. Telerehabilitation practice in MENA has been demonstrated as feasible, acceptable to patients, and effective in practitioner-designed cohort specific programs. Practitioners are generally positive but lack experience and need training, enabling technological systems, and policy frameworks.
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Aljabri et al. (2021) conducted a systematic review in Various rehabilitation conditions (musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, neurological, burns) (n=621). Telerehabilitation vs. Traditional in-person rehabilitation or standard care was evaluated on Feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of telerehabilitation. Telerehabilitation in the MENA region is feasible, acceptable to patients, and effective in specific programs, though implementation is limited by infrastructure, training, and policy barriers.
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