Exploring the Potential of Telerehabilitation for Advancing Vestibular Care: A Scoping Review on Managing Dizziness in Older Adults

Dizziness poses significant challenges to daily functioning and quality of life in patients with vestibular dysfunction. Telerehabilitation has emerged as a promising avenue for delivering effective interventions remotely, potentially revolutionizing the management of vestibular disorders. This scoping review aims to explore the potential of telerehabilitation in managing dizziness among older adults with vestibular dysfunction and to map the existing research landscape in this field. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, The Cochrane Library, PEDro, Ovid, and Scopus databases from their inception until October 2024. The initial search yielded 2159 published articles. After removing duplicates, 1585 articles were screened for relevance. Eight articles met the inclusion criteria and were selected for final review. This review follows the established method outlined by Arksey and O'Malley, Levac and colleagues, and the Joanne Briggs Institute. These include identifying research questions, relevant studies, selecting studies, charting data, and reporting results. Articles suggesting that telerehabilitation reduces dizziness and improve quality of life in individuals with vestibular dysfunction. The review provides an overview of digital tools and technologies being used, such as virtual reality (VR) and balancing exercises, demonstrated considerable improvement over traditional home workouts in terms of dizziness intensity, impairment level, and quality of life (QOL). Telerehabilitation, particularly using VR and balancing exercises, may effectively manage dizziness and improve QOL for older adults with vestibular dysfunction. These technologies could also promote engagement in physical activity. Further research is needed to establish long-term efficacy and implementation strategies.