Mobile Technology-Based Interventions for Stroke Self-Management Support: Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Digital Health
• Stroke Recovery

Background:

• Growing interest exists in using mobile health (mHealth) technology for post-stroke self-management support.
• Inconsistent definitions of "self-management support" in mHealth literature hinder evidence synthesis and comparison.
• A scoping review was conducted to clarify conceptual clarity in post-stroke mHealth interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and describe types of post-stroke mHealth interventions evaluated in randomized controlled trials.
• To determine the alignment of these interventions with established self-management support conceptualizations (Lorig and Holman theory, PRISMS taxonomy).
• To identify mHealth functions that effectively facilitate self-management in stroke survivors.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review methodology was employed (Arksey and O'Malley, Levac et al.).
• Searches were conducted across 7 databases, with article screening and data extraction performed by two independent reviewers.
• Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Twenty-nine studies (26 interventions) were included, covering 7 focal areas like physical exercise, risk factor management, and stroke education.
• Interventions utilized various mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, wearables) and mHealth functions (education, monitoring, feedback, motivation).
• Collectively, interventions aligned well with self-management support concepts, but individual intervention alignment was less consistent.

Conclusions:

• Future research should adopt a more theoretically driven and multidisciplinary approach.
• Larger-scale studies are recommended to further advance post-stroke mHealth interventions.
• Enhanced conceptual clarity and alignment are crucial for robust evidence in stroke self-management mHealth research.