Feasibility, Safety and Performance Evaluation of an Application Based Training Programme for Patients After a Stroke

Telerehabilitation After a Stroke: Feasibility, Safety and Performance Evaluation of an Application Based Training Programme for Patients After a Stroke in the Subacute Phase

The goal of this investigation is to evaluate the feasibility, safety and performance of an application-based training programme in patients after a stroke in the subacute phase.

• Is the training programme 'TeleRehaStroke' using the mobile application 'Blended Clinic' for patients after a stroke feasible and usable?
• How is the user experience of the mobile application-based training programme?

Participants will:

• Get to know the programme and use the application 'Blended Clinic' during their last weeks before discharge from the inpatient rehabilitation.
• Be guided through inpatient setting, transition and outpatient setting and be accompanied by a coaching therapist via the application.
• Continue to use the application for 12 weeks after discharge from rehabilitation.

It is challenging for patients after stroke to maintain motivation to continue and sustain training at home with the same intensity after an inpatient rehabilitation. An emerging approach is represented by digital applications that are easily and flexibly accessible from home. An existing virtual blended care environment 'Blended Clinic' (Blended Clinic AI GmbH) involves a mobile application that provides a training platform for patients after a stroke. The successor version 'TeleRehaStroke' builds on the previous version 'Strokecoach' that comprises three main modules: (1) training, (2) coaching, and (3) monitoring.

The aim of this evaluation is to assess feasibility, safety and performance of the 'TeleRehaStroke' programme for stroke patients in the transition phase from inpatient to outpatient rehabilitation.

Patients after a stroke will be recruited in the subacute phase. They will use the 'TeleRehaStroke' programme during their last weeks of their inpatient rehabilitation and for a further 12 weeks following their discharge to an outpatient setting. This includes daily exercises and blood pressure measurements. In addition, patients will receive coaching messages, educational content and questionnaires via the application. They will be accompanied by a coach via the app.

Feasibility outcomes, patient's descriptive, clinical- and performance-based parameters will be evaluated. Outcomes will be assessed at different time points.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥18 years
• Clinically confirmed stroke
• Modified Rankin Scale score 1-5
• Able, to read and understand German language
• Owns a smartphone or a tablet with stable internet connection and the operating system Android version 11 or iOS version 14 or higher

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe Aphasia
• Clinically significant concomitant disease states: visual, neurological, cardiorespiratory, psychiatric, or orthopaedic limitations that prevent a participant from following the investigator's instructions or limit performance in an exercise programme
• Recent events such as surgery or other surgical procedures, fractures, which limit the performance in an exercise programme
• Known or suspected non-compliance, drug or alcohol abuse
• Participation in another investigation (with interventional therapy, investigational drug or another medical device) within the 30 days preceding and during the present investigation.