JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Mobility recovery after critical illness is a complex and multidimensional process. Digital health technologies have emerged as promising approaches to deliver rehabilitation, monitor recovery, and facilitate self-management among intensive care unit (ICU) survivors. However, the extent to which current digital health approaches address the multidimensional nature of mobility recovery remains unclear.

Objective:

This scoping review aimed to map the current evidence on digital health approaches supporting mobility recovery among ICU survivors and to examine the mobility domains, outcomes, feasibility, and acceptability associated with these approaches.

Methods:

A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O’Malley framework and reported according to the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Five databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) were searched for studies published between January 2016 and January 2026. Studies involving adult ICU survivors that used digital health approaches to assess, monitor, support, or promote mobility recovery were included. Data were extracted and synthesized descriptively.

Results:

Twenty-three studies involving diverse study designs were included. Digital health approaches comprised telemedicine, telerehabilitation, mobile health applications, wearable monitoring, virtual reality, robot-assisted rehabilitation, and digital recovery platforms. Telemedicine and telerehabilitation were the most frequently reported approaches. Exercise-based rehabilitation was the predominant functional component, whereas monitoring, education, self-management support, and care coordination were less commonly incorporated. Mobility outcomes were highly heterogeneous and primarily focused on exercise capacity, physical performance, and muscle strength. In contrast, domains related to independence, participation, and self-management were less frequently addressed. Eleven studies reported feasibility, usability, adherence, or acceptability outcomes, with generally positive findings. Although several studies demonstrated improvements in mobility-related outcomes, evidence regarding long-term effectiveness, implementation, and sustainability remained limited.

Conclusions:

Digital health approaches show promise for supporting mobility recovery among ICU survivors. However, current evidence primarily targets physical recovery and provides limited insight into long-term and multidimensional mobility outcomes. More rigorous research is needed to inform the development of comprehensive digital rehabilitation strategies after critical illness.