Stroke is a major cause of disability. Loss of movement is a major part of this. Studies show that high doses of rehabilitation therapy can reduce disability, but many patients do not receive this, e.g., due to obstacles such as difficulty accessing care. The research team has previously found that telerehabilitation is an effective way to deliver care and improve outcomes. These prior studies were performed after hospital discharge, when patients were already back at home. The current study aims to extend this work by introducing telerehabilitation to the bedside of patients admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation facility. In this study, key areas of interest include issues related to, and the clinical effects of, telerehabilitation that is started during the rehab admission and is continued after discharge in the patient's home.
The purpose of this research study is to assess the feasibility of initiating telerehab in early stages after stroke during patient admission to an inpatient rehabilitation facility. Patients will complete 36 sessions of telerehab 6 days/week up to 8 weeks with a telehealth system provided in their hospital room and at their home. The system will include rehabilitation activities/exercises, education, and assessments to evaluate the patient experience and measure patient outcomes at the end of a 6-week course of telerehab.