“Tele-health, wearable sensors and the Internet. Will they improve stroke outcomes through increased intensity of therapy, motivation and adherence to rehabilitation programs?”

Once again laying the complete stroke recovery upon the survivors. Your doctor and therapists essentially do nothing but act as nagging coaches.

“Tele-health, wearable sensors and the Internet. Will they improve stroke outcomes through increased intensity of therapy, motivation and adherence to rehabilitation programs?”

The following article has just been accepted for publication in Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy:
“Tele-health, wearable sensors and the Internet. Will they improve stroke outcomes through increased intensity of therapy, motivation and adherence to rehabilitation programs?”
By
Jane Helena Burridge, PhD; Ruth Turk, PhD; Maria Stokes, PhD; Jill Whitall, PhD; Ravi Vaidyanathan, PhD; Phil Clatworthy, PhD; Lucy Yardley, PhD; Ann-Marie Hughes, PhD; Claire Meagher, MSc; Alan Chong W Lee, PhD, DPT, CWS, GCS; Enrico Franco, PhD
Provisional Abstract:
Background and Purpose
Stroke, predominantly a condition of older age, is a major cause of acquired disability in the global population and puts an increasing burden on healthcare resources. Clear evidence for the importance of intensity of therapy in optimizing functional outcomes is founded in animal models, supported by neuroimaging and behavioral research, and strengthened by recent meta-analyses from multiple clinical trials. However, providing intensive therapy using conventional treatment paradigms is expensive and sometimes not feasible due to patients’ environmental factors. This paper addresses the need for cost-effective increased intensity of practice and suggests potential benefits of telehealth (TH) as an innovative model of care in physical therapy.
Summary of Key Points
We provide an overview of TH and present evidence that a web-supported program used in conjunction with Constraint Induced Therapy (CIT), can increase intensity and adherence to a rehabilitation regimen. The design and feasibility testing of this web-based program, ‘LifeCIT’ is presented. We describe how wearable sensors can monitor activity and provide feedback to patients and therapists. The methodology for the development of a wearable device with embedded inertial measurement units and mechanomyography sensors, algorithms to classify functional movement, and a graphical user interface to present meaningful data to patients to support a home exercise program is explained.
Recommendations for Clinical Practice
We propose that wearable sensor technologies and TH programs have the potential to provide cost-effective, intensive, home-based stroke rehabilitation.
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