Telerehabilitation and Occupational Performance in Stroke

January 28, 2026 updated by: André Tadeu Sugawara, University of Sao Paulo

Effects of Telerehabilitation on the Occupational Performance of Stroke Patients Treated by an Occupational Therapy Service: a Randomized Clinical Trial

The objective of this randomized clinical trial is to evaluate the effects of using telerehabilitation (remote care) by occupational therapists on improving the performance and recovery of patients within the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) who have suffered a stroke and are on a waiting list for specialized rehabilitation care.

The main question it seeks to answer is:

  • What are the effects of occupational therapy services provided through telerehabilitation for the population with stroke sequelae?
  • Do the guidelines provided by telerehabilitation result in improved occupational performance (ability to perform activities of daily living) of the participants?

The researchers compare an experimental group (receiving telerehabilitation treatment) with a waitlist group (which will remain on the waitlist without receiving a specific intervention).

Participants are required to:

  • Answer a sociodemographic questionnaire;
  • Participate in assessments using standardized scales on basic and instrumental activities of daily living and use of the affected limb (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, Katz Scale, and Motor Activity Log).
  • Receive and apply Occupational Therapy guidelines (if in the intervention group).

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

15

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Brazil
    • São Paulo
      • São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, 04101-300
        • Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculty of Medicine of USP

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Clinically stable
  • Diagnosis of sequelae of stroke (regardless of modified Rankin scale score)
  • On a waiting list with medical indication for Occupational Therapy at IMREA HCFMUSP
  • Access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone with internet connection allowing for video calls
  • Ability to understand the Portuguese language
  • Availability of a caregiver to assist during therapy sessions, if necessary

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Clinically unstable patients (e.g., frail elderly with decompensated chronic diseases)
  • High-risk pregnant women
  • Lack of access to internet or devices required for telerehabilitation
  • Absence of a caregiver when assistance is required for sessions

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Telerehabilitation
Participants in this group receive Occupational Therapy guidance via telehealth (telerehabilitation) focused on improving occupational performance.
Behavioral: Telerehabilitation in Occupational Therapy
Online guidance sessions for post-stroke patients and their caregivers, aimed at improving occupational performance, using standardized scales.
No Intervention: Waiting List
Participants allocated to this group remains on the waiting list for occupational therapy, following the natural course of functional improvement.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in "Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living" score indicating greater independence or dependence in performing basic activities of daily living after 2 months.
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
The Katz Index (Brazilian version) assesses functional status in six activities: bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, and feeding. The total score ranges from 0 to 6. In this specific version, 0 indicates full independence (best outcome) and 6 indicates full dependence (worst outcome). Therefore, lower scores indicate a better outcome.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Change in "Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living" score indicating greater independence or dependence in performing instrumental activities of daily living after 2 months.
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
The Lawton Scale (Brazilian version) assesses independent living skills such as using the phone, shopping, food preparation, housekeeping, laundry, mode of transportation, responsibility for their own medications, and ability to handle finances. Scores range from 7 to 21. Higher scores indicate greater independence (better outcome).
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Change in "Motor Activity Log" score for quantitative and qualitative analysis of the use of the affected upper limb.
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks
The MAL (Brazilian version) scale assesses how well the patient uses the affected upper limb. Participants rate the quality of movement on a scale from 0 (The weaker arm is not used) to 5 (Ability to use the weaker arm is just as good as before the stroke). The final score is the mean of the items. Higher scores indicate better movement quality (better outcome).
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Sao Paulo

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

July 27, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 5, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

December 26, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 8, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 28, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 28, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 86185525800000068

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

There will be no sharing of Individual Participant Data (IPD). This decision is based on Law Nº. 13.709, of August 14, 2018 (General Law on the Protection of Personal Data - LGPD), specifically regarding the protection of sensitive data (Article 5, item II), relating to health and sex life, genetics or biometrics. The disclosure of raw data, even if pseudonymized, may pose risks of re-identification of participants, who are vulnerable patients (post-stroke) treated by the Unified Health System (SUS) at IMREA FMUSP. The publication of results will occur exclusively in an aggregated and statistical manner, preserving medical confidentiality and the identity of volunteers, as recommended by the resolutions of the National Health Council (CNS/CONEP).

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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