Haptic Technology: Exploring Its Underexplored Clinical Applications-A Systematic Review.

Background/objectives: Haptic technology has transformed interactions between humans and both tangible and virtual environments. Despite its widespread adoption across various industries, the potential therapeutic applications of this technology have yet to be fully explored.

Methods: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and randomized crossover trials was conducted, utilizing databases such as PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. This review included studies reporting clinical applications of haptic technology in rehabilitation, cognition, wellness, and mental health among adult subjects.

Results: This systematic review included 34 studies, of which 20 focused on clinical outcomes and 14 on learning clinical skills. The results showed that haptic devices, both robotic and non-robotic, enhance sensorimotor performance and motor function in rehabilitation settings, especially in post-stroke recovery, with reported effect sizes ranging from 0.2 to 0.7. The majority of the haptic technologies reported were integrated into robotic systems (40%). Haptic devices were also reported to improve clinical skills training by providing tactile feedback that enhances procedural performance and trainee self-efficacy. In fact, surgical simulations accounted for 79% of all the modalities used for medical training.

Conclusions: This review underscores the potential yet underexplored applications of haptic technology in healthcare, including medical education, rehabilitation, cognition, and mental health. The key limitations of this review include heterogeneity across studies, small sample sizes, and a scarcity of comprehensive, long-term investigations. Therefore, future research should aim to validate these findings further and expand the applications of haptic technology to maximize its utility in the healthcare industry and clinical practice.