Telerehabilitation for Hand Function in Stroke Patients

Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability worldwide, with upper limb impairment significantly reducing independence. Traditional outpatient rehabilitation poses challenges for patients with mobility limitations, financial constraints, or those living in remote areas. This randomized controlled trial compares the effects of conventional outpatient rehabilitation with and without adjunctive telerehabilitation on hand function and motor recovery in subacute stroke patients. Forty-eight participants will be randomly assigned to two groups: Group A receives conventional outpatient rehabilitation plus home-based telerehabilitation via WhatsApp video calls (30 minutes daily, 5 days/week for 6 weeks), while Group B receives conventional outpatient rehabilitation alone (same dose and content). Outcome measures include the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), Box and Block Test (BBT), and Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES), assessed at baseline and after 6 weeks.