Ethics and Equity Challenges in Telerehabilitation for Older Adults: A Rapid Review
ABSTRACT
Background:
The integration of technology in rehabilitation is transforming healthcare delivery for older adults, especially through telerehabilitation, which addresses barriers to in-person care.
Objective:
This rapid review explores the ethical and equity concerns associated with telerehabilitation for older adults, focusing on challenges such as internet access, technology adoption, and digital literacy
Methods:
Methods:
Conducted according to Cochrane Rapid Review guidelines, this review used the Metaverse Equitable Rehabilitation Therapy (MERTH) framework, focusing on equity and ethics. Studies included telerehabilitation services for adults aged 55 and older, published between 2010 and 2023. Screening was conducted independently by two researchers using Rayyan, with full-text review by additional team members. Searches were performed in Medline and Embase
Results:
Results:
From 323 articles retrieved, 50 studies met the inclusion criteria. The included studies were published between 2013 and 2023, with 55.77% published in 2021. Disparities in socioeconomic status, geographic location, and racial and ethnic backgrounds also impact telerehabilitation utilization. Additionally, ethical concerns around privacy, security, and autonomy are often inadequately addressed.
Conclusions:
This review emphasizes the need for culturally appropriate, accessible, and inclusive telerehabilitation services that integrate ethical and equity considerations into their design and delivery.
Citation
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Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.