Impact of Telerehabilitation on Functional Outcomes in Rural Neurological Patients: A Hospital-Based Observational Study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51168/r94b5e29Keywords:
Telerehabilitation, neurological rehabilitation, Functional Independence Measure, Barthel Index, rural health, observational studyAbstract
BackgroundNeurological disorders cause long-term disability, while access to rehabilitation remains limited in rural areas. This study evaluated telerehabilitation outcomes among rural neurological patients.
Methods
A hospital-based observational study was conducted in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, Saifai, Etawah, over one year. A total of 110 adult patients with neurological disorders receiving telerehabilitation were included. Functional improvement was assessed using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Barthel Index (BI), and Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at baseline and after 12 weeks. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26.0.
Results
Among 110 patients, the mean age was 58.6 ± 13.7 years, and males constituted 61.8% of the study population. Stroke was the most common neurological diagnosis (54.5%), followed by Parkinson's disease (18.2%), spinal cord injury (12.7%), traumatic brain injury (9.1%), and multiple sclerosis (5.5%). Significant improvements were observed after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation. Mean Functional Independence Measure increased from 79.8 ± 13.4 to 96.5 ± 12.2 (p<0.001), while Barthel Index improved from 58.6 ± 15.8 to 78.9 ± 14.1 (p<0.001). Modified Rankin Scale scores demonstrated significant functional recovery. Treatment adherence exceeded 90%, and 88.2% of participants reported high satisfaction with telerehabilitation services.
Conclusion
Telerehabilitation was associated with improved functional outcomes, treatment adherence, and patient satisfaction among rural neurological patients.
Recommendation
Structured telerehabilitation may be considered to improve access to rehabilitation services in rural settings. Further multicenter studies with larger samples and longer follow-up are recommended.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Sanjai Singh, Dr. Dhirendra Kumar Singh, Dr. Chandan Sharma, Dr. Javed Ahmad, Dr. Vinay Kanaujia
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