Effects of Telerehabilitation on Physical Function and Disability for Stroke Patients: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Background and Purpose—To determine the effect of a multifaceted stroke telerehabilitation (STeleR) intervention on physical function, and secondarily on disability, in veterans poststroke. Methods—We conducted a prospective, randomized, multisite, single-blinded trial in 52 veterans with stroke from 3 Veterans Affairs medical centers. Veterans with a stroke in the preceding 24 months were randomized to the STeleR intervention or usual care. The STeleR intervention consisted of 3 home visits, 5 telephone calls, and an in-home messaging device provided over 3 months to instruct patients in functionally based exercises and adaptive strategies. Usual care participants received routine rehabilitation care as prescribed by their physicians. The primary outcome measures were improvement in function at 6 months, measured by both the motor subscale of the Telephone Version of Functional Independence Measure and by the function scales of the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument. Results—The 2 complementary...