Deficits in arm and hand movements after stroke are common and result in reduced independence in activities of daily living and quality of life. Implementable therapy in the subacute rehabilitation phase for improved arm and hand recovery long-term after stroke that demonstrates robust benefits for patient and society is still required. This project will investigate whether for stroke patients who are admitted to inpatient stroke rehabilitation, an additional arm-hand intervention (AHA BOOST) when compared to dose-matched therapy, enhances arm-hand activity and quality of life post-treatment and long-term, and is cost-effective. A randomized controlled trial is conducted in two independent Flemish rehabilitation centres. Patients are evaluated pre- and post-intervention, three months after intervention and 12 months after stroke to evaluate immediate, retained and long-term clinical effects and cost-effectiveness in the first year after stroke.
In this project, the I-CHER researchers contribute to the implementation of the clinical trial, will further focus on the health economic evaluation and process evaluation regarding the implementation of this new approach in daily practice.
This project is funded by FWO-TBM (Research Foundation Flanders -Applied Biomedical Research with a Primary Social finality) and carried out by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Jessa Hospital and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Contact person for this project: Lisa Cruycke