Technology Use for Home-Based Stroke Rehabilitation in Switzerland From the Perspectives of Persons Living With Stroke, Informal Caregivers, and Therapists: Qualitative Interview and Focus Group Study.
Lena Sauerzopf, Andreas Luft, Valeria Maeusli and 3 others
PMID 39024576WHAT IT FOUND
Stroke survivors and therapists in Switzerland want home technology but lack clear guidance on which tools to use.
Reimbursement uncertainty and a heavy burden on informal caregivers hinder adoption, with survivors relying on therapists to filter options.
Key findings
01Stroke survivors and informal caregivers had no experience with synchronous telerehabilitation, despite expressing interest, while therapists faced significant barriers due to unclear reimbursement rules.
02Informal caregivers felt overwhelmed by new responsibilities and lacked adequate support or information from health care professionals during the transition from inpatient to home-based care.
03Stroke survivors relied on therapists to select appropriate technology tools because they found the process of choosing and installing apps time-consuming and difficult to evaluate for quality.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (23 participants) and limited to German-speaking Switzerland, so findings may not apply to other regions or languages. The study focused on experiences with technology, so it did not deeply explore all aspects of caregiver burden, which emerged as a significant but secondary theme. Translation of quotes from Swiss German dialects to Standard German and then to English may have affected the nuance of some statements.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was conducted by researchers from the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, School of Health Sciences.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of telerehabilitation use in this study as evidence that it is ineffective or unwanted by patients. Participants expressed interest, but structural barriers like unclear reimbursement and lack of therapist familiarity prevented its adoption.