PGI’s mobile application-based post-stroke care strategy for survivors and their caregivers

The initiative was spearheaded by Dr Ashok Kumar, Dr Dheeraj Khurana, Dr Smita Pattanaik, Dr Manish Modi, Dr Sandhya Ghai and their team, in collaboration with institutions, including IIT-Ropar, AIIMS-Rishikesh, and Dalhousie University, Canada.

Stroke continues to be a leading cause of disability, and experts point out that the burden of long-term care often falls on families, many of whom lack proper training. Addressing this gap, the app provides step-by-step guidance through short instructional videos and practical modules, enabling caregivers to manage complications such as bedsores, aspiration pneumonia, urinary tract infections, frozen shoulder, and deep vein thrombosis.

As part of the study, researchers initially screened 170 stroke survivors along with their caregivers to understand the most common post-stroke complications and rehabilitation needs. Follow-ups conducted at three and six months revealed a considerable prevalence of complications, underlining the urgent need for structured home-based care. More than 80 per cent of caregivers reported using smartphones and expressed willingness to adopt a dedicated mobile application for patient care. Based on these findings, the SHC app was developed and later tested for feasibility among 30 patient-caregiver pairs. The results indicated high levels of satisfaction, with over 75 per cent of participants rating the app positively, while the remaining expressed satisfaction. Importantly, no participant reported dissatisfaction with the app’s usability or content.

The content of the application was validated by a panel of 20 stroke experts, including neurologists, nurses, physiotherapists, and psychologists. Experts unanimously found the app appropriate, particularly appreciating the clarity of videos, concise modules, and ease of navigation. Caregivers, too, reported that the app was easy to install and operate, and helped them better understand patient care at home.

According to the researchers, the app has the potential to significantly reduce the burden on healthcare facilities by empowering caregivers with the knowledge and tools needed for early intervention. It also aims to improve the quality of life of stroke survivors by ensuring timely management of complications, which are often preventable with proper care.

However, the study acknowledges certain limitations. The app was tested on a relatively small group and is currently available only in Hindi and English, which may limit its usability in regions where these languages are not widely understood. Additionally, the app primarily focuses on bedridden or severely disabled patients and may offer limited benefits to mobile stroke survivors.

Despite these constraints, the researchers have termed the app a promising innovation in the field of neurorehabilitation. They have proposed a larger randomised controlled trial to further evaluate its effectiveness and explore its integration into standard stroke care protocols.

Experts believe that such digital interventions could play a transformative role in bridging the gap between hospital-based treatment and home-based recovery. With the increasing penetration of smartphones in India, scalable and cost-effective solutions like the SHC app could become an essential component of long-term stroke management.

The PGI team emphasised that strengthening caregiver training through accessible technology is key to addressing the growing burden of stroke-related disabilities. If successfully scaled, the ‘Stroke Home Care’ app could mark a shift towards more inclusive and patient-centric rehabilitation models in India and similar healthcare settings.