The Impact of a Digital Platform in Stroke Recovery

Preliminary Outcomes from a Multi-Disciplinary Post-Acute Recovery Program
By: Nancey Trevanian Tsai, MD

This pilot study evaluates the outcomes of Kandu Health's survivor-centric, navigator-driven, digitally-enhanced platform supporting stroke survivors and their care partners during the post-acute recovery period. Each participant had weekly appointments with a designated clinical navigator, with the goal of reducing barriers to recovery, increasing health literacy and agency, as well as improving post-stroke quality of life.

Listen to Dr. Tsai walk through the philosophy behind evidence-based instruments such as “Take Charge”, which allows stroke survivors to identify their motivations and barriers to recovery, and the outcomes achieved by the Kandu program's first 60 program participants.

Changing the Trajectory of Stroke Recovery

Kandu’s post-acute healthcare navigation, social needs support, and health behavior change approach have demonstrated outcomes that impact survivor independence, readmissions, quality of life, and compliance with discharge follow-up. Reflecting on the data from the first 60 program participants, Dr. Tsai explains, “The participants in our program were able to achieve a 4% all cause readmission rate at 30 days and a 10% readmission rate at 90 days. That represents almost a decrease by one-half from published ranges.”

"The Kandu Program, including one-on-one support with the Navigator and connection to the stroke community, allow us to care for the whole person," Dr. Tsai continues. "Our philosophy is founded on respect for the individual’s journey to recovery. It takes more than just managing clinical risk factors to reduce readmissions and improve stroke recovery."

These findings were first published and presented live as a poster abstract at the 2023 Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology. Continue exploring the outcomes data from the Kandu program's first 60 participants in Dr. Tsai's poster "Preliminary Outcomes from a Survivor-Centric Digital Platform in Stroke Recovery".