Patient-centered insights into virtual reality rehabilitation for stroke: a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis.
Kun Ding, Yan Ma, Lingling Zhang and 4 others
PMID 40452007WHAT IT FOUND
Stroke survivors reported VR rehabilitation improved balance, arm strength, and mood, but pain, fatigue, fear of falling, and technical glitches often stopped them.
They wanted professional support, personalized difficulty, and accessible home or community options.
Key findings
01Participants reported improvements in lower limb balance, reduced shoulder pain, increased elbow range of motion, arm strength, and fine motor skills.
02Barriers included pain and fatigue that led some patients to skip sessions, fear and anxiety due to balance issues, and technical limitations like screen freezes and heavy headsets.
03Facilitators included professional guidance for setup and safety, family support, real-time feedback, and gamified scoring that increased motivation and repetition.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only Chinese and English studies were included, risking publication bias. Three studies had insufficient details on recruitment strategy. Only three studies adequately considered the researcher-participant relationship. Two studies lacked detail on ethical approval or privacy measures. Four studies did not clearly explain the data analysis process. The review only captured patient perspectives, not therapists or caregivers.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret patient-reported improvements as evidence of clinical efficacy. These are subjective experiences from qualitative studies, not objective measures of functional recovery or controlled trial outcomes.