The meta-analysis comprised 34 RCTs. These RCTs were published as theses and articles between 2012 and 2025. A total of 759 patients with PD were included in the EG, and 709 patients with PD were included in the CG. RCTs have used mHealth, robotic-assisted, telerehabilitation, virtual reality, and wearable technologies. HRQoL in patients with PD was assessed using the SF-36, SF-12, PDQ-39, and PDQ-8 scales. Conversely, the literature on meta-analysis studies is limited to the PDQ-39 scale and virtual reality technology [35, 36]. This situation shows that this is the most comprehensive meta-analysis study in the literature. The absence of publication bias enhances the validity and reliability of this meta-analysis study [39].

The following results were obtained in RCTs found in the literature: (1) The use of mHealth technology either improves [5] or does not improve HRQoL in patients with PD [6,7,8], (2) The use of robotic-assisted technology either improves [2, 9] or does not improve HRQoL in patients with PD [11, 12], (3) The use of telerehabilitation technology either improves [1, 13,14,15, 17, 19, 20] or does not improve HRQoL in patients with PD [18, 21], (4) The use of virtual reality technology either improves [3, 22,23,24, 26, 29, 31, 32] or does not improve HRQoL in patients with PD [25, 28, 30], and (5) The use of wearable technologies either improves [4] or does not improve HRQoL in patients with PD [33]. In meta-analyses in the literature, it has been concluded that virtual reality technology either improves [36] or has no improvement on HRQoL in patients with PD [35]. The results of the RCTs and the meta-analyses in the literature differ from one another. This meta-analysis concluded that mHealth, robotic-assisted, telerehabilitation, virtual reality, and wearable technologies have the potential to improve patients’ HRQoL. These results from the meta-analysis may present significant opportunities for the effective management of the disease and its treatment, as well as for improving patients’ daily living activities.

Taken together, the results of the meta-analyses conducted in the study suggest that mHealth, robotic-assisted, telerehabilitation, virtual reality, and wearable technologies generally improve patients’ HRQoL in a clinically and/or statistically significant manner. Conversely, it was only concluded in the EG & CG (post-intervention) and follow-up & post-intervention (EG) meta-analyses that robotic-assisted technology did not improve HRQoL in patients with PD, either clinically or statistically. However, post-intervention, only patients in the EG with wearable technology had a clinically better HRQoL than follow-up patients. These differences in the results of the meta-analyses are due to the different subscale assessments of the PDQ and SF scales, the small number of RCTs in which the SF scales were used, and the greater proportion of patients with lower HRQoL in the intergroup comparisons. This situation indicates that more RCTs are needed to increase statistical reliability and clinical significance.

This meta-analysis has some limitations. The first limitation relates to the RCTs that were included in the analysis. These are: (1) the limited number of RCTs assessing follow-up patients’ HRQoL, (2) the fact that technological interventions were carried out over very short periods in most RCTs, (3) the relatively small sample size in some RCTs, and (4) the limited number of RCTs involving mHealth, robotic-assisted, and wearable technologies. These limitations suggest that more RCTs are required. The second limitation relates to the analyses. In the study, the effect of technologies used in PD on HRQoL was analysed based on scale scores reported in the RCTs included in the analysis. The effect of technology use on HRQoL has been limited by assessment timepoints, technology, and scale type variables. Conversely, various technological factors could effect HRQoL. These variables include age, socioeconomic status, psychological health, disease stage, comorbidities, clinical findings, and access to and cost of technology. Another limitation regarding the analysis is that the post-intervention and follow-up assessments in the RCTs included in the analysis were conducted in different weeks. These differences in assessment times may both have an effect on patients’ HRQoL, and limit the comparability of meta-analysis results over time. For these reasons, conducting a meta-analysis to investigate the effect of these variables on HRQoL in technology use is recommended. The final limitation relates to the planning stage of the study. The study plans to investigate the effect of augmented reality, telemedicine, telehealth, deep brain stimulation, and artificial intelligence technologies on HRQoL. However, the limited number of studies conducted on these technologies, and the scarcity of RCTs in particular, has prevented analyses from being carried out. Therefore, it is recommended that RCTs be conducted to investigate the effect of augmented reality, telemedicine, telehealth, deep brain stimulation, and artificial intelligence technologies on HRQoL.

The meta-analysis included RCTs which reported some important limitations and technology-specific disadvantages [1, 3, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27]. Accordingly, factors such as short-term technological intervention, uncertainty regarding long-term effects and side effects, and small sample sizes come to the fore. These factors should be addressed by conducting RCTs.

In conclusion, the technologies used in PD have the potential to improve patients’ HRQoL. The results of this meta-analysis should be considered alongside various variables that may effect HRQoL when using technology, and the disadvantages specific to technology use.