A multidisciplinary team from UTHealth Houston is launching a groundbreaking telerehabilitation trial aimed at improving stroke recovery outcomes for underserved patients in the Rio Grande Valley. The initiative specifically targets Cameron County residents who lack insurance coverage and face significant barriers to accessing traditional rehabilitation services.
"The key point is that the Rio Grande Valley is an underserved community and many people are uninsured. It's hard for them to go to rehabilitation after a stroke. If they don't receive rehabilitation, it's a big burden," explains Dr. Fadi Musfee, the trial's lead investigator and assistant professor of epidemiology at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.
Innovative Digital Platform for Stroke Recovery
The trial centers around Mobile Rehab, an advanced software platform developed by Dr. Xiaoqian Jiang. The system delivers personalized rehabilitation programs through a web-based interface, prescribing specific video exercise regimens based on each patient's motor skills and daily living activity limitations.
Trial Design and Implementation
The randomized clinical trial will enroll 30 participants aged 18-80 who have been discharged from Valley Baptist Medical Center within the past month. The study population will be divided into two groups:
- Intervention Group: 15 participants will receive the three-month telerehabilitation program, supplemented with home visits from community health workers who provide stroke education and technical support
- Control Group: 15 participants will receive standard care, including access to social services and mental health resources
Participants with psychiatric disorders, dementia, or pre-existing motor deficits before their stroke will be excluded from the study.
Comprehensive Outcome Assessment
The research team will evaluate multiple aspects of the telerehabilitation program's effectiveness:
- Functional health improvements
- Mental health outcomes
- Impact on caregiver burden
- Barriers and facilitators to program adoption
- Implementation challenges and solutions
The initiative brings together expertise from multiple UTHealth Houston institutions, including the School of Public Health in Brownsville, the Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, and the McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics. This collaborative approach ensures comprehensive oversight of both clinical and technical aspects of the program.
The study, funded by the UTHealth Houston Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, represents a significant step toward addressing healthcare disparities in stroke rehabilitation care. If successful, this model could provide a blueprint for expanding rehabilitation access to other underserved communities facing similar challenges.
