Home-based physical telerehabilitation in patients with multiple sclerosis: a pilot study

This study assessed feasibility and patient acceptance and estimated the magnitude of the clinical impact of physical telerehabilitation in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). We recruited 12 consecutive patients with a known diagnosis of MS. Each patient received a custom-tailored rehabilitative exercise program prescribed by a physical therapist during a clinic visit. The patients were guided by the home telecare units in following their individualized exercise plan. After the patients used the physical telerehabilitation system for 12 weeks, a statistically significant improvement was shown in a timed 25-foot walk (from 13.8 +/- 8.3 s to 11.3 +/- 5.4 s), 6-minute walk (from 683.3 +/- 463.8 ft to 806.5 +/- 415.0 ft), and Berg Balance Scale score (from 38.8 +/- 11.1 to 43.1 +/- 9.9) as compared with the baseline. (Values are shown as mean +/- standard deviation.) Patients were highly satisfied with the service. Home-based physical telerehabilitation can improve functional outcomes significantly in patients with MS.