Home-based Telehealth Stroke Care: A Randomized Trial for Veterans

NCT ID: NCT00384748

Last Updated: 2014-11-24

Study Results

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

48 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2008-11-30

Study Completion Date

2011-06-30

Brief Summary

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The purpose of the proposed study is to examine a Tele-rehabilitation (TR) intervention that uses tele-health technology to improve outcomes of stroke patients after discharge to home. The primary aim is to determine the effect of TR on physical function, and secondarily to determine the effect on disability, falls-related self-efficacy, and patient satisfaction.

Detailed Description

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Stroke patients clearly benefit from intensive, coordinated, inpatient care. At the same time, there is considerable interest in ways to reduce hospital lengths of stay. Early discharge rehabilitation programs require coordinated, well-organized home-based rehabilitation, and lack of sufficient information about the home setting impedes successful rehabilitation. Unfortunately, resources for in-home rehabilitation are limited. The goal of TR is to improve functional mobility using a multifaceted rehabilitation intervention via two types of telehealth technology. Tele-video is used to carry out an in-home assessment of functional mobility, to make treatment recommendations, and to provide periodic goal-oriented reassessment, modifying the treatment plan as the patient improves. Tele-video uses a video camera with a home health aide in the patient's home to provide visual and audio to a therapist located at the base hospital. It is used to carry out an in-home assessment of functional mobility, to make treatment recommendations, and to provide periodic goal-oriented reassessment, modifying the treatment plan as the patient improves. An interactive, in-home messaging device is used to facilitate adherence with treatment recommendations and to screen for interval problems (depression, falls, and difficulty with self-care).

This is a Phase II, 2-arm, 3-site Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). A total of 120 veterans with recent onset of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke who are discharged to the community will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: (a) TR; and (b) Usual Care. Dependent variables (physical function, disability, falls-related self-efficacy, and patient satisfaction) will be measured at baseline, 3-, and 6-months via telephone interviews by the study coordinator located at the CIEBP who will be blinded to the study group assignment of the patient.

Conditions

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Cerebrovascular Accident

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

FACTORIAL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Tele-visit Group

TR intervention targets safe functional mobility within a home environment and consists of: 1) exercise targeting underlying stroke-related impairment and 2) adaptive strategies targeting external factors to help compensate for disability. TR uses a combination of tele-video visits, an in-home messaging device, and telephone contact over a 3-month study period. A video camera is used in the home to provide visual and audio to a therapist located at the base hospital. An interactive, in-home messaging device is used to facilitate adherence with treatment recommendations and to screen for depression, falls, and difficulty with self-care. This allows evaluations of problem areas during tele-visits, rapid response to new functional problems.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

TR intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The 3 tele-visits will occur within 5 weeks post randomization. Telephone call visits will occur during weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12. One additional tele-visit may be scheduled as needed. The first visit is devoted to mobility assessment, goal-setting. The second visit is to review the current exercise component. Visit 3 focuses on functional mobility using adaptive strategy component.

In-home messaging device.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The purpose of this aspect of the intervention is to screen for unforeseen problems and to reinforce adherence to the recommended treatment. It will be used to interface with patients daily, but briefly. The in-home messaging device, which resembles a caller ID box is attached to the home telephone line and electrical outlet. Installation of the equipment involves connecting it to the phone line and plugging it into an electrical outlet. The teletherapist receives the clinical data from the in-home messaging device via the internet on a daily basis. It is used to screen for depression, lower extremity strength, self-care tasks and mobility, falls and exercise adherence.

Usual Care Group

Patients randomized to the Usual Care group receive routine VA care, as directed by their physicians. Therapy services are tracked via a weekly diary for the entire 6 month study period. In this weekly diary, patients in both the usual care and intervention group will record receipt of therapy. Usual Care group will be asked whether they exercised, and if so how frequently. They will be administered telephone interviews at baseline, 3-and 6-months. The interview outcome measures are FONEFIM, Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument, Falls Self Efficacy Scale and Stroke Specific Patient Satisfaction with Care. In addition, sociodemographics, stroke severity, length of time since stroke onset, and depression at baseline will be measured.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Usual care

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Routine VA care.

Interventions

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TR intervention

The 3 tele-visits will occur within 5 weeks post randomization. Telephone call visits will occur during weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12. One additional tele-visit may be scheduled as needed. The first visit is devoted to mobility assessment, goal-setting. The second visit is to review the current exercise component. Visit 3 focuses on functional mobility using adaptive strategy component.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

In-home messaging device.

The purpose of this aspect of the intervention is to screen for unforeseen problems and to reinforce adherence to the recommended treatment. It will be used to interface with patients daily, but briefly. The in-home messaging device, which resembles a caller ID box is attached to the home telephone line and electrical outlet. Installation of the equipment involves connecting it to the phone line and plugging it into an electrical outlet. The teletherapist receives the clinical data from the in-home messaging device via the internet on a daily basis. It is used to screen for depression, lower extremity strength, self-care tasks and mobility, falls and exercise adherence.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Usual care

Routine VA care.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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Tele-visit intervention

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Have acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke within the preceding twenty-four months, defined as "a rapid onset event of vascular origin reflecting a focal disturbance of cerebral function, excluding isolated impairments of higher function and persisting longer than 24 hours";
* age between 45-90;
* discharge to the community;
* cognitively intact (score of 6/10 or greater on the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire);
* discharge motor Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score of 17-88 (i.e., maximal assistance on no more than 4 motor activities of daily living (ADLs) as the most severe stroke included and modified independence at least 2 motor ADLs as the least severe); able to follow 3-step command; signed VHA Medical Media release form; concurrence by the patient's physician;
* and informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

Unable to provide informed consent
Minimum Eligible Age

45 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

90 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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US Department of Veterans Affairs

FED

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Neale R. Chumbler, PhD MA BS

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Richard Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis

Patricia A Quigley, PhD MPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

James A. Haley Veterans Hospital

Locations

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Atlanta VA Medical and Rehab Center, Decatur

Decatur, Georgia, United States

Site Status

Richard Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Site Status

VA Medical Center, Durham

Durham, North Carolina, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Lutz BJ, Chumbler NR, Lyles T, Hoffman N, Kobb R. Testing a home-telehealth programme for US veterans recovering from stroke and their family caregivers. Disabil Rehabil. 2009;31(5):402-9. doi: 10.1080/09638280802069558.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 18720112 (View on PubMed)

Chumbler NR, Rose DK, Griffiths P, Quigley P, McGee-Hernandez N, Carlson KA, Vandenberg P, Morey MC, Sanford J, Hoenig H. Study protocol: home-based telehealth stroke care: a randomized trial for veterans. Trials. 2010 Jun 30;11:74. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-11-74.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 20591171 (View on PubMed)

Chumbler NR, Morey M, Quigley P, Rose D, Sanford J, Hoenig H. Tele-rehabilitation for Stroke Care: A Randomized Trial for Veterans. [Abstract]. Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association. 2010 May 1; 16 Suppl 1:s30.

Reference Type RESULT

Chumbler NR, Morey MC, Griffiths P, Quigley P, Haley JA, Rose DK, Sanford J, Hoenig H. The Effects of a Stroke Telerehabilitation In-Home Intervention on Function and Disability: Preliminary Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial. [Abstract]. Stroke; A Journal of Cerebral Circulation. 2011 Mar 1; 42(3):e76.

Reference Type RESULT

Chumbler NR, Quigley P, Li X, Morey M, Rose D, Sanford J, Griffiths P, Hoenig H. Effects of telerehabilitation on physical function and disability for stroke patients: a randomized, controlled trial. Stroke. 2012 Aug;43(8):2168-74. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.111.646943. Epub 2012 May 24.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 22627983 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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B4492-R

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id