Mobile Tablet-Based Stroke Rehabilitation: Using mHealth Technology to Improve Access to Early Stroke Rehabilitation

Authors

  • Michael William Pugliese School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, 451 Smyth Road, Roger-Guindon Building, Room 3105, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5.
  • Kumanan Wilson Departments of Medicine, Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa, and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada. The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, 1053 Carling Avenue, Administrative Services Building, Room 1009, Box 684, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 4E9.
  • Julien Guerinet Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. 103B Stirling Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 1P9.
  • Katherine M Atkinson Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden and Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. 103B Stirling Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 1P9.
  • Karen H Mallet Champlain Regional Stroke Network, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Ottawa, Ontario, Canada The Ottawa Hospital, Box 608, 1053 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 4E9.
  • Rany Shamloul Ottawa Stroke Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus- 1053 Carling avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1Y4E9, box# 608
  • Lise Zakutney Champlain Regional Stroke Network, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, 1053 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON.
  • Dale Corbett Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Candian Partnership for Stroke Recovery and University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa , Ottawa, Canada The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, Room 3510G, Roger Guindon Hall, 451 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON.
  • Dar Dowlatshahi Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada. The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, 1053 Carling ave, Room C2182, Ottawa, ON.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v11i1.6234

Keywords:

aphasia, mobile tablet, recovery, stroke

Abstract


Mobile health (mHealth) technology represents a means through which more stroke survivors could access early stroke rehabilitation. Although rehabilitation is most effective when begun early post-stroke, limited resources (facilities, therapists) prevent survivors from initiating therapy. Furthermore, the coupling of an aging population with advances in acute therapy has led to an increase in the absolute number of individuals suffering from and surviving strokes which in turn has put further strain on already scarce rehabilitation resources. There is an urgency to conduct high-quality research exploring cost-effective and creative mHealth devices for early rehabilitation in the acute setting. Mobile technology allows therapists to prescribe apps based on standard cognitive/physical assessments in the acute setting, remotely monitor patient progress across individual carepaths, and update prescribed therapies based on patient feedback and recovery. Recognition of the growing problem of accessing early stroke rehabilitation, and the possibilities offered by mHealth technology led to the development of the RecoverNow platform for stroke rehabilitation in the acute setting. RecoverNow is a custom built, tablet-based stroke rehabilitation platform that houses a variety of previously existing apps with activities analogous or identical to exercises in speech language and/or occupational therapy. While RecoverNow represents how mobile technology can be utilized to address a growing public health issue, the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of tablet-based stroke rehabilitation are unknown. Studies with the goal of establishing feasibility of early tablet-based stroke rehabilitation are needed and, if appropriate, a randomized controlled trial to establish efficacy.

Author Biographies

Michael William Pugliese, School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, 451 Smyth Road, Roger-Guindon Building, Room 3105, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5.

Michael Pugliese is an MSc. student studying epidemiology at the University of Ottawa. He completed his undergraduate degree with a B.Sc. in psychology and minor in neuroscience and mental health. His current research is focused on tablet-based rehabilitation following acute stroke

Kumanan Wilson, Departments of Medicine, Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa, and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada. The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, 1053 Carling Avenue, Administrative Services Building, Room 1009, Box 684, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 4E9.

Dr. Kumanan Wilson is a specialist in General Internal Medicine at the Ottawa Hospital. He is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa and Senior Scientist in the Clinical Epidemiology Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. He holds a Research Chair in Public Health Innovation. �  He has guided a team in the development of mobile health applications within the Ottawa Hospital

Julien Guerinet, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. 103B Stirling Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 1P9.

Julien Guerinet is the head of mobile development at the Ottawa Hospital mHealth Research Team. He built the tablet portion of the RecoverNow platform and is currently leading the mobile aspect of multiple other projects, most notably ImmunizeCA.

Katherine M Atkinson, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden and Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. 103B Stirling Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 1P9.

Katherine Atkinson is the Director of Research and Business Development at the Ottawa Hospital mHealth Research Team. She is also a PhD student at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden where she is studying the use of mobile technologies to improve health outcomes

Karen H Mallet, Champlain Regional Stroke Network, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Ottawa, Ontario, Canada The Ottawa Hospital, Box 608, 1053 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 4E9.

Karen Mallet has been working as the Speech-Language Pathologist on the Best Practice Team with the Champlain Regional Stroke Network since 2004. Her academic background includes an MEd in Education – Counselling and an MHSc in Speech-Language Pathology, both from the University of Ottawa. Karen has lectured at the University of Ottawa’s Medical School and Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology Programs. She has been a collaborator in developing the Heart and Stroke’s 2010 Tips and Tools for Everyday Living’s Meal Assistance and Special Diets Module. She is currently working on a feasibility research project using TeleRehab at Home.

Rany Shamloul, Ottawa Stroke Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus- 1053 Carling avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1Y4E9, box# 608

Dr Shamloul is a senior clinical research associate at the Ottawa Stroke Program (OSP) at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. He has a MBBCH from Cairo University, PhD from University of Saskatchewan and MBA from Western Governors University.  He is involved in the research operational activities of the OSP.

Lise Zakutney, Champlain Regional Stroke Network, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, 1053 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON.

Lise obtained her Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Occupational Therapy from McGill University.  Throughout her career she has worked across Canada in acute care settings, outpatient rehab, and in the private sector.  For over 29 years of her career, Lise has been working with, and dedicated to, the stroke and brain injury population.  Lise has been affiliated with the University of Ottawa since she joined the Champlain Regional Stroke Network in 2007 disseminating Stroke Best Practices in this region in Ontario Canada. She has been collaborating annually with the University of Ottawa faculty on stroke research projects and initiatives.

Dale Corbett, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Candian Partnership for Stroke Recovery and University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa , Ottawa, Canada The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, Room 3510G, Roger Guindon Hall, 451 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON.

Dr. Dale Corbett is a neuroscientist and the Scientific Director and CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery. He obtained a PhD from Concordia University followed by Post-Doctoral training at McGill University. His research deals with questions related to the optimal timing and intensity of post-stroke rehabilitation and the biological mechanisms underlying recovery after stroke.

Dar Dowlatshahi, Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada. The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, 1053 Carling ave, Room C2182, Ottawa, ON.

Dr. Dowlatshahi is a stroke neurologist and the scientific director of the Ottawa Stroke Program. He has an MD and PhD from McMaster University, completed a Neurology residency at the University of Ottawa, and a Stroke Fellowship at the University of Calgary. He leads a clinical research program in acute stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage and early stroke recovery.

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Published

2017-01-31

How to Cite

Pugliese, M. W., Wilson, K., Guerinet, J., Atkinson, K. M., Mallet, K. H., Shamloul, R., … Dowlatshahi, D. (2017). Mobile Tablet-Based Stroke Rehabilitation: Using mHealth Technology to Improve Access to Early Stroke Rehabilitation. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM), 11(1), pp. 148–157. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v11i1.6234

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 1 (2017)

Section

Short Papers