Organizational and Technological Innovations for the Deployment of Patient-Centred Best Practices : Early Assisted Discharge (EAD) Project for Stroke Clients

Summary


Stroke can affect people’s functioning, social participation and quality of life. It is important to intervene quickly with sufficient intensity of intervention in order to optimize recovery. Waiting lists for the intensive functional rehabilitation (IFR) program and limited resources mean that patients currently do not have access to this level of rehabilitation intensity at the right time. A program called the Early Supported Discharge program (ESD) has been put in place as a solution so that the person can start their IFR at home as soon as they return. Telehealth technologies have been shown to facilitate the process for certain aspects of the ESD program and potentially improve its results. Thus, the objectives of this study are: 1) To assess the acceptability of the ESD project and telehealth by patients, caregivers and clinicians, as well as their experiences; 2) To assess the degree of integration of telehealth into the clinical activities of the ESD. 3) Assess the impact of ESD use with telehealth on a) patient/family b) clinical care and services. 4) Assess the costs and savings associated with telehealth during the implementation phase. To meet these objectives, this study will include a pre-implementation evaluation of telehealth, adaptation of a platform to the clinical workflow of the ESD, and an 18-month period of telehealth implementation. These technological solutions are expected to increase the quality and effectiveness of the care provided under the ESD program.

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