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A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the International Journal of Stroke, has revealed that a fully digital treatment for physical activity offers significant support to stroke patients and is well-received by users. The study highlights the wide geographical reach of this digital intervention and its potential as a resource-efficient complement to traditional healthcare.
The study, which involved 114 participants who had experienced a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), compared two groups: one received digitally guided training and behavior change support from a physiotherapist, while the other was provided with digital individual counseling and follow-ups. Notably, the entire study was conducted remotely, using digital tools from recruitment through to treatment and evaluation.
The findings show that the intervention reached participants from 20 of Sweden’s 21 regions, with over 90% of participants completing the 6-month treatment period. A significant 76% of the guided training sessions were successfully completed, and participants expressed satisfaction with the mobile app used for the treatment.
The digital physiotherapy approach proved to be safe, with no serious incidents such as falls or injuries reported. Participants also valued the ease of communication with their physiotherapist via the mobile application, which facilitated continuous support over the treatment period.
Charlotte Thurston, doctoral student at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society at Karolinska Institutet and lead author of the study, explained, “Our results show that digital physiotherapy via mobile phone can be an effective way to promote equitable health-promoting treatment for people who have had a stroke, regardless of where in the country they live.”
David Moulaee Conradsson, docent at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society and primary investigator of the study, added, “Digital care and rehabilitation have the potential to become a resource-efficient complement to today’s healthcare. To maximize the benefits, it is important to improve recruitment procedures to reach sedentary individuals with comorbidities who may have the greatest need for the treatment. Additionally, increasing diversity among participants in future studies will be crucial to fully assess the treatment’s impact.”
This study underscores the potential of digital healthcare solutions to enhance accessibility to rehabilitation, offering a promising avenue for stroke recovery.
