Table 2.
Characteristics of study groups.
| Study group | Studies' included health conditions and disorders in all age groups | No. of studies |
|---|---|---|
| Biomechanical aspects | Studies that apply mechanical research to living structures such as the skeleton or organs. Assistive robotic devices e.g., exoskeletons, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), functional electrical therapy (FET) | 27 |
| Brain injury | All types of head trauma resulting in acquired brain injury | 111 |
| Cancer | All types of cancer | 228 |
| Cardiac | Cardiac diseases such as coronary heart disease, heart transplant, venous thromboembolism, angina pectoris, heart valve replacement, and defibrillator rehabilitation | 174 |
| Diabetes | Diabetic foot ulcers, type 2 diabetes, socioeconomic inequality | 7 |
| Elderly | Elderly participants with any disease or condition mentioned in the title e.g. hip fractures, cognitive impairments and dementia | 109 |
| Functional disorder | Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, psychosomatic symptoms | 14 |
| Hearing impairment | Hearing loss, auditory verbal skills, cochlear implant | 33 |
| Intensive care | All types of ICU care and follow up | 10 |
| Lungs/pulmonary | All types of respiratory diseases, COPD, tuberculosis and asthma | 93 |
| Mental/Cognitive | All types of mental disorder, dementia and psychiatric diagnosis | 33 |
| Mixed population | Participants with more than one disease group mentioned in the title | 17 |
| Musculoskeletal | Low back pain, amputation, atrophy, hip knee replacement, fractures, tendon/ligament damage, muscle pain, osteoarthritis | 342 |
| Neurological | Cerebral paresis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disorder, spinal cord injury and spasticity | 151 |
| Oral Health | Dental procedures, preventive measures | 29 |
| Rheumatic | Rheumatic disorders, | 4 |
| Sickness absence | Included studies with work related interventions and outcomes, e.g. return to work, and sick leave. Participants without a specific disease | 52 |
| Stroke | All types of stroke | 97 |
| Substance abuse | Drug treatment, alcoholic liver disease, cannabis withdrawal, hepatic encephalopathy | 8 |
| Surgery | Colon surgery, nephrectomy, postoperative recovery | 43 |
| Refugees/torture | Rehabilitating torture survivors, traumatised refugees | 23 |
| Sport | Sports injuries | 15 |
| Other | Included studies that did not conform to the previously mentioned groups e.g. genetic disorders, rare diseases | 121 |
| Healthcare professional | Nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and general practitioners | 38 |