The Use of Telerehabilitation to Improve Movement-Related Outcomes and Quality of Life for Individuals With Parkinson Disease: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background Individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) can improve their overall mobility and participation in daily activities as they engage in frequent exercise. Despite the need for individually tailored exercises, persons with PD often face barriers to accessing physical rehabilitation professionals who can provide them. Telerehabilitation (TR) may facilitate access to necessary and individually tailored rehabilitation for individuals with PD. Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of TR for individuals with PD and explore clinical outcomes compared to in-person care. Methods This was a pilot randomized controlled trial conducted at 2 outpatient neurorehabilitation clinics with 3 study groups: clinic+TR, TR-only, and usual care (UC). TR was administered using a web-based application with a mobile app option. One-hour interventions were performed weekly for 4 weeks, in-person for the clinic+TR and UC groups and virtually for the TR-only group. Home exercises were provided on paper for the UC group and via the web-based platform for the clinic+TR and TR-only groups. Feasibility was assessed by recruitment and retention success and patient and therapist satisfaction, as rated in surveys. Clinical outcomes were explored using performance and patient-reported measures in between- and within-group analyses. Results Of 389 patients screened, 68 (17.5%) met eligibility criteria, and 20 (29.4% of those eligible) were enrolled (clinic+TR, n=6; TR-only, n=6; and UC, n=8). One patient (TR-only) was withdrawn due to a non–study-related injurious fall. Regardless of group allocation, both patients and therapists generally rated the mode of care delivery as “good” or “very good” across all constructs assessed, including overall satisfaction and safety. In the analysis of all groups, there were no differences in clinical outcomes at the discharge visit. Within-group differences (from baseline to discharge) were also generally not significant except in the UC group (faster 5-time sit-to-stand time and higher mini balance evaluation systems test balance score) and clinic+TR group (higher mini balance evaluation systems test balance score). Conclusions High satisfaction amongst patients and clinicians regardless of group, combined with nonsignificant between-group differences in clinical outcomes, suggest that TR is feasible for individuals with PD in early-moderate stages. Future trials with a larger sample are necessary to test clinical effectiveness. As larger trials enroll patients with diverse characteristics (eg, in terms of age, disease progression, caregiver support, technology access and capacity, etc), they could begin to identify opportunities for matching patients to the optimal utilization of TR as part of the therapy episode. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06246747; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06246747