Effectiveness and efficiency of telerehabilitation on functionality after spinal cord injury: A matched case-control study

Background: Telerehabilitation in spinal cord injury (teleSCI) is a growing field that can improve access to care and health outcomes in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The clinical effectiveness of teleSCI is not known.

Objectives: To compare independence in activities of daily living and mobility capacity in patients following teleSCI and matched controls undergoing traditional rehabilitation.

Design: Matched case-control study.

Setting: TeleSCI occurring in home setting (cases) versus traditional rehabilitation on inpatient unit (controls).

Participants: Forty-two consecutive patients with SCI followed with teleSCI were compared to 42 historical rehabilitation inpatients (controls) matched for age, time since injury to rehabilitation admission, level of injury (paraplegia/tetraplegia), complete or incomplete injury, and etiology (traumatic/nontraumatic). The teleSCI group (n = 42) was also compared to the complete cohort of historical controls (n = 613).

Interventions: The teleSCI group followed home-based telerehabilitation (3.5 h/day, 5 days/week, 67 days average duration) and historical controls followed in-person rehabilitation.

Main outcome measure(s): The Functional Independence Measure (FIM), the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) and the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury (WISCI). We formally compared gains, efficiency and effectiveness. International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury and the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) were used.

Results: The teleSCI group (57.1% nontraumatic, 71.4% paraplegia, 73.8% incomplete, 52.4% AIS grade D) showed no significant differences compared with historical controls in AIS grades, neurological levels, duration, gains, efficiency and effectiveness in FIM, SCIM, or WISCI, although the teleSCI cohort had significantly higher admission FIM scores compared with the complete cohort of historical controls.

Conclusions: TeleSCI may provide similar improvements in mobility and functional outcomes as traditional rehabilitation in medically stable patients (predominantly with paraplegia and motor incomplete SCI) when provided with appropriate support and equipment.