A Pilot Trial of Telerehabilitation for Chronic Stroke Survivors: A Case-series Study of Three Individuals.

Background: We designed a telerehabilitation (TR) program for stroke patients based on reports from other countries and adapted the program for use by individual patients. Herein, we describe the clinical courses of three stroke survivors who used the TR program.

Cases: All three individuals were community-dwelling chronic stroke survivors. Patient 1 (P1) was a 50-year-old man who presented with severe paralysis of the right upper and lower extremities caused by left cerebral hemorrhage. Patient 2 (P2) was a 56-year-old woman who presented with severe paralysis of the left upper and lower extremities caused by right cerebral hemorrhage. Patient 3 (P3) was a 55-year-old man who presented with severe paralysis of the left upper and lower extremities caused by right cerebral hemorrhage. The TR program was conducted through a web conference system that allowed therapists and patients to interact with each other. The intervention consisted of 30-min sessions every 2 weeks for 6 months. The clinical courses and outcomes of the patients differed, but we identified positive changes in physical activity (number of steps) and participation (expansion of life-space) in addition to improvements in functional impairments (e.g., motor paralysis and balance order) in each patient. All three patients were highly satisfied with the TR program.

Discussion: The results observed in this case series suggest that TR programs are a viable intervention in Japan. TR programs can reduce barriers to continued rehabilitation after discharge and can encourage increased activity and participation.