Telerehabilitation in stroke care – a systematic review

Abstract

We conducted a systematic review of telerehabilitation interventions in stroke care. The following databases were searched: Medline, Embase, DARE-NHSEED-HTA (INAHTA) and the Cochrane Library. Nine studies, all published after 2000, were included in the review. A wide variety of telemedicine interventions in post-stroke rehabilitation care was identified. Four studies had been carried out in the USA, two in the Netherlands, two in Italy and one in China. There were four randomized controlled trials and one qualitative analysis. Four studies used an observational study design/case series. Home-based telerehabilitation interventions showed promising results in improving the health of stroke patients and in supporting caregivers. Telemedicine systems based on a virtual environment for upper extremity exercise can improve the physical health of stroke patients. Health professionals and participants reported high levels of satisfaction and acceptance of telerehabilitation interventions. There was no evidence regarding the effects on resource utilization or cost-effectiveness. Most studies showed promising results, although overall, the quality of the evidence on telerehabilitation in post-stroke care was low.

Effects of physical therapy delivery via home video telerehabilitation on functional and health-related quality of life outcomes

“…Improving access to rehabilitative care may reduce disparities for stroke survivors and caregivers facing financial or transportation-related challenges. While research on telerehabilitation is limited, there is increasing evidence supporting the need for telerehabilitation services, the development of telerehabilitation interventions, and support for people with disabling conditions that potentially limit access to rehabilitation services [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14].…”

The Effect of a Memory Training Application for a Patient with Traumatic Brain Injury

“…Since the 1990s, many telerehabilitation programs have been developed for patients with brain injury 5,9,14,17,18,21) . Most of these programs have focused on rehabilitation of physical disability or speech impairment 5,9,13,14,17,18) .…”

“…Most of these programs have focused on rehabilitation of physical disability or speech impairment 5,9,13,14,17,18) . In contrast, only a few studies have reported on telerehabilitation for cognition 7,8,10) .…”

“…With the rapid development of modern technology and the use of computers in communications, many applications and telerehabilitation programs have been developed for rehabilitation various functions, including cognition [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] . However, little is known about applications for memory training based on telerehabilitation for patients with TBI.…”

SCRIPT: Tele-robotics at HomeFunctional Architecture and Clinical Application

“…In a recent review (Johansson, 2010), only very limited amount of ICT-supported treatments were available. Of the nine studies included in the review, four studies focused on a teleconsultation service for stroke patients.…”