Technologically-assisted interventions in neurological and psychological applied disciplines in South Africa : a scoping review

Abstract

Technologically-assisted interventions are evolving modern tools in the field of healthcare that have had international success in the treatment of pervasive psychological disorders. They have also been used successfully as an adjunct to traditional medical procedures and as an aid to facilitating patient rehabilitation. Technologically-assisted interventions provide unique opportunities in the treatment of various conditions associated with numerous psychological and neurological disorders, which have resulted in improved learning experiences and social interactions. The purpose of this distinctive study was to explore the nature of primary research on technologically-assisted interventions in South Africa published between and including the years 1996 and 2021. These interventions were chosen due to their specific applications in neurology and psychology. Applications in neurorehabilitation were also investigated in the study, which are currently clinically under-utilised in South Africa. Using specific exclusion and inclusion criteria, and the PRISMA-ScR search strategy, 14 databases were used for the search. After the appropriate screening, 13 studies were included in the scoping review and five prominent trends were found to exist in the research. First, the geographic locations of the reviewed studies, which indicated that studies appeared to have been largely located in provinces with large populations and/or economic input. Second, the year of publication of the studies, which highlighted their growing accessibility. Third, the sample size and study population of the selected studies, which contextualised the range of participants observed in each study. Fourth, the modality of the technologically-assisted interventions utilised in the scoped studies, which highlighted a gap in South African literature in the neurological and psychological sciences as the bulk of readily accessible literature focused on telemedicine. Finally, the use of telemedicine as a popular modality played a significant role in the types of mHealth intervention and treatment support, where mHealth was defined within the broad terminology used to refer to improving the delivery of healthcare and services to individuals in rural and remote communities. This paper provides a novel overview of the current landscape of technologically-assisted interventions in psychological and neurological therapeutic treatments in South Africa. These findings have also been seen as crucial in understanding the limitations exsisting in the South African healthcare system context as well as avenues for further research into the ubiquitous potential of technologically-assisted interventions in this field.