Implementation of an Intervention Program Based on Virtual Walking and Therapeutic Exercise in Cuba: A Feasibility...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Health Technology
• International Health

Background:

• International cooperation project between University of Valencia and Pinar del Río health authorities.
• Focus on implementing and evaluating an innovative, low-cost, evidence-based rehabilitation protocol.
• Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3, 4, 10) for health and equity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a novel rehabilitation protocol.
• To combine mirror-neuron stimulation via Virtual Walking and therapeutic exercise.
• To strengthen local capacities in evidence-based practice through training.

Main Methods:

• Multidisciplinary meetings and digital/on-site training for healthcare professionals, caregivers, and educators.
• Protocol: Virtual Walking (10 min) + therapeutic exercise (30 min), 3x/week for 8 weeks.
• Outcome measures included gait, lower limb function, frailty, pain, and satisfaction; Wilcoxon signed-rank test used for analysis.

Main Results:

• Successful implementation in two polyclinics with high participant satisfaction.
• Significant improvement in gait endurance (p < 0.05); no significant changes in lower limb function or pain.
• Identified severe infrastructural and connectivity limitations; demonstrated protocol feasibility, adaptability, and acceptability.

Conclusions:

• The project offers a replicable framework for rehabilitation in low-resource settings.
• The protocol integrates technological innovation, clinical training, and community engagement.
• Potential to achieve meaningful clinical results and promote health quality and equity.