Home-based telesurveillance and rehabilitation after stroke: a real-life study

Background: After discharge from in-hospital rehabilitation, post-stroke patients should have the opportunity to continue the rehabilitation through structured programs to maintain the benefits acquired during intensive rehabilitation treatment.Objective: The primary objective was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing an home-based telesurveillance and rehabilitation (HBTR) program to optimize the patient's recovery by reducing dependency degree.Method: Post-stroke patients were consecutively screened. Data were expressed as mean ±  standard deviation (SD). 26 patients enrolled: 15 were sub-acute (time since stroke: 112 ± 39 days) and 11 were chronic (time since stroke: 470 ± 145 days). For 3 months patients were followed at home by a nurse-tutor, who provided structured phone support and vital signs telemonitoring, and by a physiotherapist (PT) who monitored rehabilitation sessions by videoconferencing.Results: 23 patients completed the program; 16.7 ± 5.2 phone contacts/patient were initiated by t...