Introduction:
Rehabilitation interventions are inherently complex and shaped by both individual and contextual factors. However, they are often reported in the research literature without sufficient detail about what was delivered, how, and by whom. This lack of transparency constrains our ability to identify the active ingredients, replicate effective interventions, and implement them with fidelity in clinical settings.
Methods:
We applied the TIDieR-Rehab checklist in two systematic reviews to assess the intervention reporting quality in: (1) robotic and conventional upper limb rehabilitation after stroke, and (2) aerobic exercise for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Two reviewers independently extracted and assessed intervention reporting completeness across 22 TIDieR-Rehab items, with discrepancies resolved through discussion.
Results:
In 25 randomised controlled trials of upper limb robotics, overall reporting completeness averaged 50%. Key therapeutic elements were frequently under-reported: challenge (set and progressed) appeared in only 9% of studies, personalisation to needs in 7%, and to preferences in none. In 13 mTBI trials, frequency and duration were consistently reported (85 to 96%), but challenge (65%) and progression/regression (54%) were often poorly described. Personalisation (12 to 15%) and protocol deviations (23%) were among the least reported items.
Conclusion:
The overall reporting quality observed in both reviews underscores the importance of structured frameworks like TIDieR-Rehab in advancing transparent and reproducible descriptions of rehabilitation interventions. Challenge and personalisation, key drivers of therapeutic effectiveness, remain among the least reported elements. To strengthen evidence translation, researchers should clearly describe how interventions are tailored, progressed, and adapted to individual needs and clinical contexts.
Relevance to clinical practice:
Improved intervention reporting is critical to fidelity, replication, and patient outcomes. Greater clarity will better support clinicians to apply evidence-based rehabilitation in practice.