Objective: Exercise programs to improve upper extremity function following stroke in the community setting are needed as the length of hospital stay continues to decrease. However, little has been done to increase understanding of how to translate an evidence-based rehabilitation intervention to real-world programs. The purpose of this case report was to describe a process evaluation of the implementation of an evidence-based upper extremity rehabilitation intervention for stroke, the Graded Repetitive Arm Supplementary Program, in a community setting.
Methods (case description): A partnership between a nonprofit support organization and a local community center was established to deliver the program in the community. The Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework with mixed methods was used to evaluate the implementation.
Results: Reach: Twenty people were screened, 14 people met eligibility requirements, and 13 consented to participate. The program reached approximately 1.25% of the potential target population. Effectiveness: Participants with stroke demonstrated significant improvement in upper extremity function and quality of life as measured by the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for upper extremity, Action Research Arm Test, Rating of Everyday Arm-use in the Community and Home Scale, and Stroke Impact Scale. Adoption: Factors that facilitated program uptake were the well-planned implementation and the workplace coaching based on the audit results. Factors contributing to ongoing participation were the social support within the group environment and the instructor's capability of engaging the group. Implementation: A partnership between a nonprofit organization and a local community center was successfully established. The program was implemented as intended as verified by a fidelity checklist. Participant adherence was high as confirmed by the average attendance and practice time. Maintenance: Both the partner organization and community center continued to offer the program.
Conclusion: The Graded Repetitive Arm Supplementary Program had good fidelity of the critical principles and core components and was effective in improving upper extremity function and quality of life.
Impact: This partnership model may serve as the first step for future larger-scale implementation and could be used to move other stroke rehabilitation interventions into community settings.
Keywords: Anatomy: Upper Extremity; Arm; Exercise; Implementation; Process Evaluation; RE-AIM; Rehabilitation; Stroke.
© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Physical Therapy Association. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.