Teaching stroke patients to dial the telephone

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Assistive Technology

Background:

• Cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) often lead to functional impairments, including difficulties with essential daily tasks like using a telephone.
• Assessing the impact of CVAs on fine motor skills and cognitive functions related to number recall and dialing is crucial for rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the percentage of adults post-cerebrovascular accident who can dial and recall telephone numbers.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Dial-a-Phone device in teaching telephone dialing skills to CVA patients.

Main Methods:

• A pretest was administered to 73 adult patients who had experienced cerebrovascular accidents to assess their ability to dial telephone numbers.
• The Dial-a-Phone device was used as an instructional tool for patients unable to dial.
• Instructional time and patient outcomes were recorded.

Main Results:

• Out of 73 patients, 42 were unable to dial a telephone number during the pretest.
• The Dial-a-Phone proved effective, successfully teaching 36 of the 42 patients (approximately 85.7%) to dial.
• The average instructional time required was 4.8 minutes.
• No significant difference in dialing difficulty was observed between right and left hemiplegic patients.

Conclusions:

• The Dial-a-Phone is an effective assistive device for teaching telephone dialing to adults recovering from cerebrovascular accidents.
• Acquiring telephone dialing skills can significantly enhance functional independence and serve as a motivator for communication skill development.
• This skill can be considered a life-saving ability, empowering individuals post-stroke.