Pilot study on comparisons between the effectiveness of mobile video-guided and paper-based home exercise programs on improving exercise adherence, self-efficacy for exercise and functional outcomes of patients with stroke with 3-month follow-up: A single-blind randomized controlled trial.
Bryan Ping Ho Chung, Wendy Kam Ha Chiang, Herman Lau and 8 others
PMID 32489241WHAT IT FOUND
Stroke patients given home exercises via QR-code videos on their phones had better adherence, confidence, and walking ability after three months than those given paper pamphlets.
Daily living skills did not improve more with videos. The video group started with higher function, so this pilot needs a larger trial before changing practice.
Key findings
01At three months, the video-guided group reported higher exercise adherence than the paper-based group.
02Self-efficacy for exercise improved significantly more in the video group at both one and three months.
03Mobility gains were greater in the video group at three months, but gains in activities of daily living were not different between groups.
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
Small sample size (56 analysed) limits the generalizability of the findings. The video group had significantly higher baseline function (Barthel Index) than the control group, which could bias the functional outcomes. Data was collected via telephone interviews, introducing potential recall bias. The study was conducted only with Chinese-speaking participants, limiting applicability to other cultural contexts. Adherence was self-reported without log sheets, which may overestimate actual exercise completion.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and received no financial support for the research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that video-guided exercises are superior to paper pamphlets for all stroke patients. The video group started with better baseline function than the control group, and the study was too small to rule out that this difference, rather than the video format, drove the better mobility outcomes. A larger, more balanced trial is needed before changing practice.