Background: Digital health technology is a promising way of supporting health care providers and family caregivers as they care for patients with cognitive impairment. Objective: This scoping review aimed to portray the use of digital health technology to assist health care providers and family caregivers in caring for patients with cognitive impairment who live in the community or in a facility. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed scientific articles available in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, and CINAHL with Full Text, as well as gray literature available in preprint servers, theses depositories, and various national and international dementia organizations’ websites. The search yielded 975 articles, of which we included 7 (0.7%) in the review. Results: Of the 7 interventions included in the retrieved manuscripts, 2 (29%) were digital calendar reminder systems to support activities of daily living and medication management; 2 (29%) were apps on tablet devices to simulate the presence of family before therapy interventions; 1 (14%) was a social robot used in therapeutic sessions to include elements of musicotherapy, reminiscence, cognitive games, and relaxation; 1 (14%) was a commercially available computer system that provides access to various recreational leisure activities; and 1 (14%) was a web-based self-management support system that helps family caregivers to deal with behavior changes in a relative with dementia. Of the 7 articles, only 1 (14%) reported on the use of a behavior change theory, namely a comprehensive process model of engagement coupled with cognitive stimulation therapy. Conclusions: Literature on the topic is scarce, recent, and heterogeneous. There is a clear need for a theoretical framework to conceptualize and govern the use of behavior change models that incorporate technology for patients with cognitive impairment.

Public policy impacts on the occupational life spectrum of individuals and communities are ubiquitous. This paper explores the nexus between policy science and occupational science. Public policy is defined and the relevance to occupational life and occupational salience is explored. Two occupational science meta-value propositions are put forward to support interdisciplinary dialogue within policy science that can be used to respond to societal transformations and the development of public policy. Economic downturns and globalization are two scenarios used to provide examples of the intersections of occupational science and policy science. These scenarios are used to expand on the value and potential of occupational science to inform public policy through the application of policy levers. This paper opens the door for occupational scientists and public policy scientists to begin to engage in dialogue on the benefits of interdisciplinary approaches that can support the holistic consideration of knowledge needed to address the occupational complexity of lives and communities when occupation is disrupted.

Introduction: The rapid adoption of telerehabilitation in physiotherapy and occupational therapy has transformed healthcare delivery, offering new opportunities for patient-centered care. However, its implementation raises critical ethical and equity-related questions that require proactive strategies to ensure fair and responsible practices. This review examines how ethical disparities and equity-related challenges are reflected in the existing literature on telerehabilitation. Objective: To investigate the presence of ethical-disparity and equity-related aspects in the provision of telerehabilitation in physiotherapy and occupational therapy as reflected in the literature. Data Sources: A rapid review methodology was employed to explore ethical and equity-related challenges in telerehabilitation. The search included articles published in English and French between 2010 and 2023 from the Medline and Embase databases. Study Selection: Articles were selected based on their relevance to ethical and equity considerations in telerehabilitation. A total of 1750 sources were initially identified, with 67 articles meeting the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this review. Data Extraction: Data were extracted based on variables such as age, gender, ethnicity, morbidity, cost, privacy, confidentiality, and autonomy. The data extraction and analysis were guided by the Progress Plus and Metaverse Equitable Rehabilitation Therapy frameworks. Data Synthesis: The findings were analyzed and discussed using a narrative synthesis approach. The results highlighted key ethical considerations, including adverse events, patient autonomy, and privacy issues. Equity-related aspects were examined, access to rehabilitation services and gender considerations. Disparities in technology access, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity were also identified. Conclusions: This rapid review highlights the growing relevance of ethical and equity considerations in the design and delivery of telerehabilitation within physiotherapy and occupational therapy. The findings show inconsistent reporting and limited depth in addressing key domains such as patient autonomy, privacy, and adverse events, alongside disparities related to age, gender, socioeconomic status, and geographic access. Although telerehabilitation holds promise for expanding access, particularly in underserved areas, this potential remains unevenly realized. The review underscores the critical need for structured, equity-driven, and ethically grounded frameworks such as the Metaverse Equitable Rehabilitation THerapy (MERTH) framework to guide future implementation, research, and policy.

Introduction: The rapid adoption of telerehabilitation in physiotherapy and occupational therapy has transformed healthcare delivery, offering new opportunities for patient-centered care. However, its implementation raises critical ethical and equity-related questions that must be addressed to ensure fair and responsible practices. This review examines how ethical disparities and equity-related challenges are reflected in the existing literature on telerehabilitation. Objective: To investigate the presence of ethical-disparity and equity-related aspects in the provision of telerehabilitation in physiotherapy and occupational therapy as reflected in the literature. Methods: A rapid review methodology was employed to explore ethical and equity-related challenges in telerehabilitation. The search included articles published in English and French between 2010 and 2020 from the Medline and Embase databases. Articles were selected based on their relevance to ethical and equity considerations in telerehabilitation. A total of 1,556 sources were initially identified, with 57 articles meeting the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this review. Data were extracted based on variables such as age, gender, ethnicity, morbidity, cost, privacy, confidentiality, and autonomy. The data extraction and analysis were guided by the Progress Plus and Metaverse Equitable Rehabilitation Therapy frameworks. A narrative synthesis approach was used to analyze and discuss the findings. The results highlighted key ethical considerations, including adverse events, patient autonomy, and privacy issues. Equity-related aspects were examined with a significant focus on age demographics, access to rehabilitation services, and gender considerations. Disparities in technology access, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity were also identified. Conclusions: The review underscores the importance of addressing ethical and equity-related issues in telerehabilitation to ensure a socially just, responsible, and inclusive approach to care. Additionally, it highlights the potential for telerehabilitation to offer personalized interventions that cater to individual patient needs, further advancing equitable and patient-centered rehabilitation practices.

This community-engaged qualitative study co-defined digital health and artificial intelligence (AI) priorities with First Nations communities in Manitoba, Canada, including those with disabilities. Grounded in Indigenous research methodologies and community-based participatory research, the project responded to persistent inequities in rehabilitation and health service access shaped by geography, colonial legacies, and jurisdictional fragmentation. These inequities are especially important in the context of aging, as older adults and Elders may experience compounded barriers related to disability, chronic conditions, mobility limitations, and digital exclusion. Over approximately 12 months, an interdisciplinary team consisting of First Nations scholars and partners, disability organizations, clinicians, and researchers conducted relationship-building visits and meetings with First Nations leadership, Elders/Knowledge Keepers, health providers, and community members to inform the design of a Gathering focused on disability, digital health, and AI. A one-day community-engaged Gathering was held on Treaty 1 and 2 Territory in Winnipeg and convened approximately 70 participants from multiple First Nations communities and disability/health organizations. Five facilitated roundtables explored: (1) health and research priorities for First Nations persons with disabilities; (2) primary care and disabilities; (3) digital access and cultural safety; (4) culturally safe and ethical AI use; and (5) health system challenges, disability, and digital health. Data consisted of facilitator-produced, de-identified table summaries, facilitator reflection forms, and participant-validated plenary notes; no recordings or individual sociodemographic data were collected. Using qualitative description and team-based content analysis, three interrelated domains emerged: (1) relationships, identity, trust, and cultural safety; (2) system, infrastructure, and equity conditions required for accessible care and digital inclusion (e.g., connectivity “dead zones,” device access, transport, and culturally safe services); and (3) opportunities, risks, and governance principles for AI and data use (e.g., AI literacy, privacy, bias, Indigenous data sovereignty, and Nation-specific governance). Findings emphasize that equitable digital health and AI must be relational, disability-informed, culturally safe, and led under First Nations authority, with AI positioned to support, rather than replace, human care relationships. The findings also highlight the importance of designing digital health and AI initiatives that remain accessible and trustworthy for older adults and Elders, particularly where aging, disability, and rural or remote living intersect.