The Unveiled Potential of Telehealth Practice in Vestibular Rehabilitation: A Comparative Randomized Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH) in cases of insufficient central nervous system compensation leads to chronic dizziness. A customized vestibular rehabilitation (VR) program is more beneficial than a generic set of exercises for patients with chronic UVH. The purpose of the present study is to compare a customized remotely supervised VR program with a customized unsupervised VR program in chronic UVH patients. Methods: Participants were randomly allocated into two groups (Group A and Group B) and received an individualized 6-week home-based VR program that included adaptation and habituation exercises, balance and gait training. All individuals’ VR program implementation was evaluated weekly, allowing for exercise modifications. Moreover, Group A received additional remote supervision via phone communication (twice per week). The effectiveness of each VR program was evaluated using the scores of the Mini-BESTest, the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). Results: At the 6-week assessment, participants in Group A had significantly better scores in objective and subjective evaluated parameters than those in Group B (p < 0.001). Group A also showed better compliance with the VR program. On the contrary, participants’ conformity in their individualized exercises was not affected by gender, duration of symptoms, or BMI (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Our clinical study highlights the advantages of using telephone communication, with a structured design and implementation, to assist individuals in successfully following a VR protocol.