In a recently published study, a team of researchers concluded that telerehabilitation significantly improved physical and psychological outcomes for people with lower-limb amputations, but strategies are necessary to sustain long-term engagement during the unsupervised phase.
For the study, 60 participants with lower-limb amputations were randomized to an experimental group (telerehabilitation) or a control group (standard care). The intervention involved a four-week supervised phase followed by a four-week unsupervised phase. Primary outcomes were physical capacity, measured by the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), and psychological status, assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Secondary outcomes included adherence rates and patient satisfaction.
The experimental group showed significant improvements in 6MWT distance and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores compared to the control group. The mean 6MWT distance increased by 20 percent from baseline to the end of the supervised phase and was maintained during the unsupervised phase. Adherence during the supervised phase was 85 percent but dropped to 60 percent during the unsupervised phase.
The study, “Telerehabilitation transforms recovery: Elevating outcomes for lower limb amputees,” was published in Prosthetics and Orthotics International.
https://journals.lww.com/poijournal/abstract/2026/02000/telerehabilitation_transforms_recovery__elevating.3.aspx
