HandTutor system answers the 2009 American Heart Association (AHA) Policy Statement on stroke systems of care

In 2009 the American Heart Association issued a AHA Policy Statement that appears in Stroke magazine http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/40/7/2635 discussing recommendations for the implementation of telemedicine within stroke systems of care. In regards to sub acute stroke treatment, the report states that many small hospitals do not have specialists with training and expertise to treat patients in medical sub specialties, including physical, occupational and speech therapy, and rehabilitation medicine.
Stroke rehabilitation involves coordinated interventions from a multidisciplinary team in order to achieve the best potential functional outcome. and should be provided by an appropriately trained and staffed that follows established practice guidelines. Impaired recovery outcomes has been noted in patients with geographically and or financially limited access to appropriate rehabilitation services. The report concludes that telemedicine for rehabilitation (telerehabilitation) may be a practical and valuable approach to delivering post stroke care when limited resources, manpower shortages, long distances, or limited patient mobility prevent or limit access to indicated rehabilitation therapies.
In a recent statement by Steven L. Wolf, PhD, professor of rehabilitation medicine at Emory University School of Medicine millions of Americans face challenges in accessing health care, with rural residents experiencing more limitations of activity caused by chronic conditions such as stroke than urban residents. Additionally, insurance carriers often do not cover lengthy rehabilitation programs for stroke survivors, causing many patients to lose the proven benefits of aggressive therapy following a stroke.
Prof Wolf also states that “A tremendous amount of research has led to advances in stroke therapy through the identification of the importance of task practice and intensity of therapy. However, we know that many patients, in particular those living in rural and under served areas, do not receive quality post-stroke rehabilitation.

The EU policy states all European stroke patients should have access to a continuum of care, including organized acute stroke units, appropriate rehabilitation, and secondary prevention measures and the 2006 World Health Organization Helsingborg Declaration on European Stroke Strategies declared that tele-rehabilitation is a vital element to achieving this goal.
The HandTutor system is being used for stroke and other brain and spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, brachial plexus injury patients, with the patient undergoing intensive exercise practice at home with tele-monitoring from a remote location ensuring patient compliance and maximum motivation.