Effectiveness of website-based education program on activities of daily living and fear of falls among sub-acute stroke survivors: a pilot study in South Gujarat Region of India

Abstract

Background Stroke survivors and their caregivers have numerous and diverse educational needs, many of which are unmet because of inadequate training from healthcare professionals. As stroke recovery and rehabilitation can continue for years post-stroke, it is critical that stroke survivors are provided with and have access to a range of support options and evidence-based information. Website-based education programs (WEP) have been adopted in recent years to manage health problems. The present pilot study aims to evaluate the effect of WEP on activities of daily living (ADLs) and the fear of falls among sub-acute stroke survivors. Methods A total of 16 eligible post-stroke survivors were recruited from multiple study settings across Surat City of Gujarat state in western India and were randomly assigned using a lottery method to either the experimental group (n = 8) receiving WEP or the control group (n = 8) receiving conventional physiotherapy for 4 weeks. Outcome measures were the Indian Stroke Scale (ISS), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I). Results Both groups showed statistically significant improvements in all outcomes but the experimental group showed more significant improvements in ADLs and fear of falls among sub-acute stroke survivors (p < 0.05). Conclusion WEP for sub-acute stroke survivors is an effective intervention. It improves the performance of ADLs for stroke survivors and helps in better fall management indicating that web-based education programs shall be implemented on a regular basis to improve patient care.