Most stroke survivors live with other chronic health conditions that can negatively affect their recovery and overall health and well-being. Although stroke care has improved, there are still many challenges in delivering community-based stroke care.
Some of the challenges result from poor coordination of care across healthcare providers and settings, limited communication among healthcare providers, limited use of evidence-based treatment guidelines, difficulties navigating community services, and limited client and family caregiver involvement in making healthcare decisions.
McMaster University in Ontario Canada principal investigator Maureen Markle-Reid RN, PhD, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair and her research team have developed a new mobile health (mHealth) application called “My Stroke Team” (MYST) to improve the quality of stroke care at home.
The researchers are planning a clinical trial (NCT02230280) to explore:
- The feasibility and acceptability of the mobile tool within a six month navigation and rehabilitation intervention from the perspectives of home care providers, stroke survivors, and caregivers
- MYST app usage patterns by various subgroups of end-users
- Effects of the intervention on stroke survivors in terms of health-related quality of life, community reintegration, physical functioning, depression, anxiety, self-efficacy, and the cost of use of health services from a societal perspective
- Effects of the app on HCP outcomes
To be eligible for the study, both male and female participants must be 65 years or older, been newly referred for home care services with a confirmed diagnosis of stroke within the past 18 months, have at least two predetermined comorbid conditions, and must be able to provide informed consent. The Clinical Trial is not yet open for participant recruitment.
Go to https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02230280?term=health=echnology&rank=20 for more information. The study start date is January 2015 with the study estimated to be completed July 2016. Email Maureen Markle-Reid at mreid@mcmaster.ca or call 905-525-9149 extension 22306.