Zhang Wei, Borg Johan
Master Program of Global Health Leadership, Nuffield Department of Primary Care, Health Sciences, and Said Business School, University of Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.
Department of Medical Sciences, School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden.
Front Rehabil Sci. 2025 Apr 24;6:1581104. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2025.1581104. eCollection 2025.
Given the rising global demand for assistive technology, predicted to encompass 3.5 billion people by 2050, understanding the availability of guidelines governing its use and identifying potential gaps is paramount.
This scoping review mapped existing guidelines related to assistive technology. The review aimed to inform future research and guideline development to accelerate access to assistive technology within universal health coverage.
Following the JBI methodology, a systematic search of guidelines published between January 2008 and March 2024 was conducted across CINAHL, Google Scholar, PubMed, TRIP and WHO IRIS. Included guidelines related to specific assistive technology, including product types and services for users and their caregivers. Guidelines targeting system-level interventions were excluded.
The search identified 291 records, of which 24 guidelines were included. They focus on improving health outcomes for diverse populations across different healthcare settings. Most guidelines originated from high-income countries and predominantly addressed commonly known assistive products for mobility, hearing, vision, and self-care. There is a gap in guidelines for assistive products for cognition and communication. The identified guidelines primarily followed evidence-based methodologies and involved assistive technology users in their development.
This review provides a crucial overview of the existing landscape of assistive technology guidelines. It calls for further action to harmonize standards, leverage innovation in evidence generation, and enhance guideline development to better serve the global population in need of assistive technology.
鉴于全球对辅助技术的需求不断上升，预计到2050年将惠及35亿人，了解其使用指南的可用性并找出潜在差距至关重要。
本范围综述梳理了与辅助技术相关的现有指南。该综述旨在为未来的研究和指南制定提供信息，以加快在全民健康覆盖范围内获取辅助技术。
按照JBI方法，在CINAHL、谷歌学术、PubMed、TRIP和世卫组织IRIS上对2008年1月至2024年3月期间发布的指南进行了系统检索。纳入的指南涉及特定辅助技术，包括面向用户及其照护者的产品类型和服务。针对系统层面干预措施的指南被排除。
检索共识别出291条记录，其中纳入了24条指南。它们侧重于改善不同医疗环境中不同人群的健康状况。大多数指南源自高收入国家，主要涉及常见的移动、听力、视力和自我护理辅助产品。认知和通信辅助产品的指南存在空白。已识别的指南主要遵循循证方法，并让辅助技术用户参与其制定过程。
本综述对辅助技术指南的现有情况进行了重要概述。它呼吁采取进一步行动，以统一标准、利用证据生成方面的创新并加强指南制定，从而更好地服务于全球有辅助技术需求的人群。
