Home-based Telehealth Stroke Care: A Randomized Trial for Veterans

US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Cerebrovascular Accident

Treatments: Behavioral: In-home messaging device.; Behavioral: Usual care; Behavioral: TR intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT00384748

B4492-R

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of the proposed study is to examine a Tele-rehabilitation (TR) intervention that uses tele-health technology to improve outcomes of stroke patients after discharge to home. The primary aim is to determine the effect of TR on physical function, and secondarily to determine the effect on disability, falls-related self-efficacy, and patient satisfaction.

Full description

Stroke patients clearly benefit from intensive, coordinated, inpatient care. At the same time, there is considerable interest in ways to reduce hospital lengths of stay. Early discharge rehabilitation programs require coordinated, well-organized home-based rehabilitation, and lack of sufficient information about the home setting impedes successful rehabilitation. Unfortunately, resources for in-home rehabilitation are limited. The goal of TR is to improve functional mobility using a multifaceted rehabilitation intervention via two types of telehealth technology. Tele-video is used to carry out an in-home assessment of functional mobility, to make treatment recommendations, and to provide periodic goal-oriented reassessment, modifying the treatment plan as the patient improves. Tele-video uses a video camera with a home health aide in the patient's home to provide visual and audio to a therapist located at the base hospital. It is used to carry out an in-home assessment of functional mobility, to make treatment recommendations, and to provide periodic goal-oriented reassessment, modifying the treatment plan as the patient improves. An interactive, in-home messaging device is used to facilitate adherence with treatment recommendations and to screen for interval problems (depression, falls, and difficulty with self-care).

This is a Phase II, 2-arm, 3-site Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). A total of 120 veterans with recent onset of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke who are discharged to the community will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: (a) TR; and (b) Usual Care. Dependent variables (physical function, disability, falls-related self-efficacy, and patient satisfaction) will be measured at baseline, 3-, and 6-months via telephone interviews by the study coordinator located at the CIEBP who will be blinded to the study group assignment of the patient.

Enrollment: 48 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 45 to 90 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Have acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke within the preceding twenty-four months, defined as "a rapid onset event of vascular origin reflecting a focal disturbance of cerebral function, excluding isolated impairments of higher function and persisting longer than 24 hours";
• age between 45-90;
• discharge to the community;
• cognitively intact (score of 6/10 or greater on the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire);
• discharge motor Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score of 17-88 (i.e., maximal assistance on no more than 4 motor activities of daily living (ADLs) as the most severe stroke included and modified independence at least 2 motor ADLs as the least severe); able to follow 3-step command; signed VHA Medical Media release form; concurrence by the patient's physician;
• and informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Unable to provide informed consent

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

48 participants in 2 patient groups

Tele-visit Group

Experimental group

Description:

TR intervention targets safe functional mobility within a home environment and consists of: 1) exercise targeting underlying stroke-related impairment and 2) adaptive strategies targeting external factors to help compensate for disability. TR uses a combination of tele-video visits, an in-home messaging device, and telephone contact over a 3-month study period. A video camera is used in the home to provide visual and audio to a therapist located at the base hospital. An interactive, in-home messaging device is used to facilitate adherence with treatment recommendations and to screen for depression, falls, and difficulty with self-care. This allows evaluations of problem areas during tele-visits, rapid response to new functional problems.

Treatment:

Behavioral: TR intervention

Behavioral: In-home messaging device.

Usual Care Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients randomized to the Usual Care group receive routine VA care, as directed by their physicians. Therapy services are tracked via a weekly diary for the entire 6 month study period. In this weekly diary, patients in both the usual care and intervention group will record receipt of therapy. Usual Care group will be asked whether they exercised, and if so how frequently. They will be administered telephone interviews at baseline, 3-and 6-months. The interview outcome measures are FONEFIM, Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument, Falls Self Efficacy Scale and Stroke Specific Patient Satisfaction with Care. In addition, sociodemographics, stroke severity, length of time since stroke onset, and depression at baseline will be measured.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Usual care