Disparities in Internet Use Among US Stroke Survivors: Implications for Telerehabilitation During COVID-19 and Beyond
Cenjing Zhu, Phoebe M. Tran, Rachel P. Dreyer, Larry B. Goldstein, Judith H. Lichtman
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.