New program brings virtual stroke rehab care to rural Alberta
A partnership between government, health providers, researchers and industry will use remote technology to connect rural stroke patients with specialists who assess muscle spasticity.
Why it matters
The program could reduce the need for rural Albertans recovering from stroke to travel long distances for specialized care.
A new province-wide initiative called the Post-Stroke Spasticity Care for Rural Albertans program aims to give rural and remote stroke survivors access to specialized rehabilitation care without long-distance travel. The program uses virtual assessments to connect patients with rehabilitation specialists based in major urban centres.
Spasticity, a common post-stroke complication that causes muscles to become stiff or hard to control, affects movement and limb function and can contribute to chronic pain. The initiative is designed to speed up assessment and treatment for this condition by deploying virtual care kits, built on technology developed at the University of Alberta's Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory and refined with Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, into rural communities.
The program involves the Government of Alberta, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Glenrose Hospital Foundation, the University of Alberta Rehabilitation Robotics Lab and AbbVie, with funding from the Glenrose Hospital Foundation, Alberta Innovates, the province and AbbVie. Officials, including Glenrose Hospital Foundation CEO Mark Korthuis, University of Alberta researcher Martin Ferguson-Pell, Primary Care Alberta CEO Kimberley Simmonds and Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services Justin Wright, said the effort is meant to improve coordination between specialists and local providers and reduce travel burdens for patients.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.