Tele-assessment of Berg balance scale, timed-up, go and box and block test in patients with chronic stroke: establishing agreement with the face-to-face assessment

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered rapid adaptive actions in favor of remote interventions and clinical assessment methods. The reliability of functional tests used in remote assessment is limited in patients with chronic stroke. The aim of the study was to assess the inter-reliability of the Berg balance scale, the timed-up and go test, and the box and block test via remote assessment, in patients with chronic stroke. Methods: Fifteen patients (8 men and 7 women) underwent a home-based teleassessment using a software platform and a center-based face-to-face assessment, on two consecutive days. The assessment order was randomized and conducted by an independent examiner. All participants were instructed regarding the use of the software platform, home equipment preparation, and safety issues Results: Participants aged 50-70 years (mean 59.6±7.34) with an average of 4.8±2.5 years after stroke and a moderate degree of motor dependence (Barthel scale: mean 83±8.61 units) completed all tests in both assessment procedures without experiencing adverse events. The inter-reliability was moderate for the total BBS score: ICC=0.869 (95% CI: 0.616 to 0.955), excellent for the total time of the TUG: ICC=0.968 (95% CI: 0.907 to 0.989) as well as for the upper right and left arm scores of the BBT: ICC=0.974 (95% CI: 0.922 to 0.991) and ICC=0.966 (95% CI: 0.897 to 0.988), respectively. Conclusions: Tele-assessment for BBS, TUG, and BBT appears moderate to excellent inter-reliability in functionally independent patients with chronic stroke.