Abstract

Background: Stroke is the second cause of death and the leading cause of disability worldwide. Self-care applications can potentially improve some patient outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a stroke self-care application on some patient outcomes.

Methods: This study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The statistical population consisted of patients with recent stroke discharged from one of the hospitals in Kashan, Iran. The sample size was 30 in the intervention group and 30 in the control group. In addition to the usual care, patients in the intervention group used a self-care application for two months. The targeted outcomes were measured using the following questionnaires: The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Barthel Index (BI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5d), Morisky Medication Adherence (MMAS-8), Stroke Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SSEQ), Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) and a complication checklist. The scales were administered in three periods: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and a three-month follow-up. The data were analyzed using SPSS Ver. 22. The study hypotheses were rejected or accepted using multivariable ANOVA analysis with repeated measures at a significance level of 0.05.

Results: The self-care application affected stroke severity, motor function, the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), self-efficacy, medication adherence, and satisfaction with treatment. The intervention group had a significant difference in these parameters compared to the control group (P<0.05). Nevertheless, this application had no significant effect on the quality of life, depression, and stroke complications (P>0.05).

Conclusions: Although a self-care application can improve some stroke outcomes, such as motor function disorder and inability to perform ADLs, it does not affect the quality of life, stroke complications, and depression. Longer interventions with different applications may be needed to improve such variables.