Feasibility and Acceptability of the Living My Life Program for Rural and Remote Stroke Survivors

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation science
• Digital health interventions
• Stroke recovery

Background:

• Stroke significantly impacts individuals, particularly those in rural and remote areas with limited access to specialized rehabilitation services.
• The Living My Life Program was developed to address these disparities by leveraging technology for remote support.
• ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: ACTRN12622000967785.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of the Living My Life Program for stroke survivors living in rural and remote settings.
• To identify necessary refinements for the program's future implementation.
• To understand the perspectives of rural and remote stroke survivors on the program's usability and effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• A pragmatic mixed methods multiple case study design was employed, integrating grounded theory and action research principles.
• The study involved adult stroke survivors living at home in Queensland, Australia, who were willing to use videoconferencing technology.
• Feasibility was evaluated based on participation, technology use, and self-progress measurement, while acceptability was assessed using the Acceptability of Intervention Measure.

Main Results:

• Four out of five participants successfully completed the 12-week online program using readily available technology.
• Participants reported progress towards their recovery goals, utilizing the Patient-Specific Functional Scale for self-monitoring.
• The Living My Life Program demonstrated high acceptability, with participants finding it easy to integrate into their lives and supportive of their recovery journey.

Conclusions:

• The Living My Life Program is a feasible and acceptable intervention for rural and remote stroke survivors, empowering them to lead their recovery.
• Future research should explore the program's applicability across diverse cultural groups and varying stroke-related impairments.
• Incorporating participant feedback during piloting facilitated program refinements, highlighting the value of user-centered design.