Multimodal Ambulatory Monitoring of Daily Activity and Health-Related Symptoms in Community-Dwelling Survivors of Stroke: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Validity.
Stephen C L Lau, Lisa Tabor Connor, Allison A King and 1 others
PMID 35780826WHAT IT FOUND
In 40 community-dwelling mild stroke survivors, 7 days of smartphone prompts plus a thigh accelerometer were feasible, acceptable, and appeared to track activity and symptoms.
It is not proof that any treatment works.
Key findings
01All 40 survivors of stroke completed the monitoring, with mean EMA completion 93.6%, accelerometer compliance 99.7%, and 99.8% of completed surveys paired with valid accelerometer data.
02Participants rated the overall experience positive or very positive at 97.5%, rated the accelerometer easy to use, and reported low interference with daily routine.
03Reported activity types lined up with accelerometer intensity: high-physical-demand leisure had 40% light and 10% moderate to vigorous activity, while low-physical-demand leisure had 93% sedentary.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only adults aged 18 to 65 years with mild to moderate stroke, at least 3 months post stroke, living at home, and owning a smartphone were included, so results may not apply to older adults, more severe stroke, or people without a smartphone. People who used wheeled mobility devices were excluded because the accelerometer was worn on the thigh. The activPAL intensity classification has not been examined in people with stroke, so measured activity levels may be overestimated or underestimated. Time-based smartphone prompts may miss rare behaviors or peak physical activity. All participants already used smartphones, so familiarity may have improved compliance compared with patients without smartphone experience. This study tested feasibility, acceptability, and validity, not whether the method improves symptoms or activity.
Declared interests
The accelerometer is activPAL from PAL Technologies Ltd. Allison A. King received consulting payment from Global Blood Therapeutics for an unrelated trial; other authors declared no conflicts.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that adding smartphone surveys or an accelerometer improves stroke recovery. It tested feasibility, acceptability, and validity in 40 people with mild stroke, not whether it improved activity or symptoms.