Several measurement tools commonly used in face-to-face neurological rehabilitation have been used in telerehabilitation. However, it is not known whether these tools have adequate measurement properties and clinical utility. This systematic review aims to investigate the measurement properties and the clinical utility of measurement tools used in telerehabilitation in individuals with neurological diseases. A systematic review to investigate the measurement properties and clinical utility of measurement tools used in telerehabilitation in individuals with neurological conditions will be conducted. This systematic review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. this systematic review protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on 28 May 2021 (registration number: CRD42021257662). Electronic searches will be performed in following databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE Ovid), Excerpta Medica Database (Embase Classic + Embase Ovid), Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Scientific Electronic Library Online (Scielo), and Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS). Two trained independent reviewers will select the studies according to the inclusion criteria, and will also extract the data, evaluate the clinical utility and methodological quality. The relevant data such as design, participants, settings, and mode of administration, measurement properties, and clinical utility will be summarized. Disagreements between reviewers will be resolved by consensus or by the decision of a third independent reviewer. Hand searches of other relevant studies will be employed. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist and the clinical utility scale will be used to assess the methodological quality and clinical utility of these tools, respectively. This systematic review will provide information regarding the measurement properties and the clinical utility of the measurement tools used in neurological telerehabilitation. This information will be useful to assist health professionals in choosing adequate measurement tools and planning new research studies.
Objective To summarize the measurement properties (reliability, validity, and responsiveness) and the clinical utility of measurement tools used in telerehabilitation in individuals with neurological conditions. Design Systematic review. Subjects Individuals with neurological conditions. Intervention Not applicable. Main measures The methodological quality of the studies using the COSMIN Risk of Bias Checklist, the quality of the measurement properties using the criteria for good measurement properties, and the clinical utility of the measurements using the Tyson & Connell scale. Results From the 22,188 identified studies, 47 were included. Forty-three measurement tools were identified. The main modes of administration were telephone and videoconference. Studies involved mostly individuals with stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease. Criterion validity and reliability were the most investigated measurement properties. None of the tools had their responsiveness investigated. Twenty-two measurement tools have at least one measurement property evaluated as “sufficient” in a study with appropriate methodological quality (“very good” or “adequate”). Nineteen measurement tools showed adequate clinical utility. Eight measurement tools, investigated in individuals with stroke, spinal cord injury or Alzheimer's disease, all administered by telephone, were recommended. Conclusion The present results can be used to assist in choosing appropriate measurement tools, both in research and clinical practice, during telerehabilitation in individuals with neurological conditions. Measurement error, content validity, structural validity, and responsiveness need to be further investigated. In addition, the measurement properties of tools used in telerehabilitation in other neurological conditions, such as Huntington's disease, should also be investigated. Registration number CRD42021257662.
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