Understanding adoption of mobility assistive products: a systematic review

Objective: A systematic review of 30 full-text articles was conducted on user acceptance of technologies that assist people who have functional difficulties (FD) with activities of daily living (ADLs) and mobility. Our objective was to better understand the adoption of mobility assistive products (mobAP) among people with FD.

Methods: A literature search in EBSCO, PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science yielded 423 articles. Ultimately, thirty articles met our inclusion criteria.

Results: Four overarching themes were identified using a thematic analysis approach. The themes were Empowerment Through the Use of Mobility Assistive Products, Incorporating User-Centered Design, Understanding the Challenges Users Encounter, and Improvements to Research Design. These themes highlight trends across studies that indicate that mobility assistive products have the potential to improve the well-being of people with FD. Still, significant efforts need to be made to improve the training with these devices. Moreover, researchers, healthcare providers, and designers should carefully consider the environmental, social, and facilitating conditions that moderate acceptance of these products.

Conclusion: This work advocates for more inclusive research design methodologies based on the limitations of the included studies. Ultimately, this review highlights the importance of understanding mobility assistive product acceptance among people with FD. By synthesizing the literature and identifying knowledge gaps, this review informs evidence-based decision-making for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and designers to develop user-centered healthcare assistive products, training, and assessments.