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Comment
. 2022 Mar;53(3):e90-e91.
doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.121.037175. Epub 2022 Feb 3.

Disparities in Internet Use Among US Stroke Survivors: Implications for Telerehabilitation During COVID-19 and Beyond

Cenjing Zhu  1 , Phoebe M Tran  1 , Rachel P Dreyer  2 , Larry B Goldstein  3 , Judith H Lichtman  1
Affiliations
Comment

Disparities in Internet Use Among US Stroke Survivors: Implications for Telerehabilitation During COVID-19 and Beyond

Cenjing Zhu et al. Stroke. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

Despite evidence-based guidelines,1 stroke rehabilitation remains underutilized, particularly among women and minorities.2 Telerehabilitation is a promising alternative to traditional in-person rehabilitation and offers a novel strategy to overcome access barriers,3 which intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic.4 A broadband connection is a prerequisite for its wide adoption but its availability varies across the United States (https://broadbandnow.com/national-broadband-map). Little is known about demographic and geographic variation in internet use among stroke survivors. In this study, we sought to compare internet use in a nationally representative sample of individuals with and without stroke.

Keywords: internet; stroke; telerehabilitation.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Prevalence of internet use by US states, BRFSS, 2015–2017. (A) Prevalence of internet use among stroke survivors. (B) Prevalence of internet use among non-stroke individuals. (C) Overall and by age and sex among stroke survivors. (D) Sex differences in prevalence by state among stroke survivors.
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References

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