Reaching People With Disabilities in Underserved Areas Through Digital Interventions: Systematic Review
Journal of Medical Internet Research
Zhou, L., & Parmanto, B. (2019).
Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(10), e12981.
This systematic review investigates the use of telepractice to provide intervention services in individuals with disabilities (e.g., developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury, stroke, autism spectrum disorder, multiple sclerosis) located in remote or underserved locations.
National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research; National Institutes of Health
For individuals with disabilities located in underserved and remote areas, "this systematic review showed that most patients had a positive opinion regarding digital intervention delivered via telehealth. Most of them had reasonable levels of satisfaction" (p. 10).
For individuals with disabilities located in underserved and remote areas, receiving intervention via telepractice resulted in functional improvements in language abilities and quality of life. Families and caregivers were also helped by telepractice interventions. This review found that these individuals were able to access services they were otherwise unable to access. Other telepractice benefits included time and money savings. Due to the heterogeneity of included studies and the lack of comparison to face-to-face interventions, additional research on telepractice is warranted.
