An Integrated VR-Based Tele-Rehabilitation Platform to Support RECOVERY and Maintenance of FUNctional Abilities Among Seniors: Italian Trial Results
摘要
The aging of the population is leading to an increase in the number of people requiring long-term needs and in particular, according to forecasts, stroke related disabilities will rise in following years. Technology could support the healthcare system responding to patient needs and reducing the burden to both formal and informal caregivers. RecoveryFun project proposed an integrated VR-based tele-rehabilitation platform designed to support older adults with upper limb impairments, particularly post-stroke patients, in home-based settings. The system comprised a virtual reality headset with a VR exergames application installed, a wearable sensor for stress monitoring, a caregiver mobile app and a clinician web platform. The usability (SUS and UEQ) and the acceptability (QUEST 2.0) of this system were evaluated with a 4-week pre-post study involving patients aged ≥ 60 with moderate upper limb function (Fugl-Meyer Assessment ≥ 33) who completed ≥ 2 weekly sessions. Secondary outcomes assessed were: function ability (FMA), quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) and interest to use the system for the patient, while perceived stress (PSS) and system impact for the caregiver. Analysing Italian results, the system appeared to have a good acceptability and usability according to both patients and caregivers. Moreover, observing pre-post data, an improvement of function mobility and quality of life was generally observed on patients, whereas a reduction of perceived stress on caregivers, demonstrating the potential of the system for future applications and researches.