Disparities in Internet Use Among US Stroke Survivors: Implications for Telerehabilitation During COVID-19 and Beyond

Despite evidence-based guidelines, stroke rehabilitation remains underutilized, particularly among women and minorities. Telerehabilitation is a promising alternative to traditional in-person rehabilitation and offers a novel strategy to overcome access barriers, which intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. A broadband connection is a prerequisite for its wide adoption but its availability varies across the United States (https://broadbandnow.com/national-broadband-map). Little is known about demographic and geographic variation in internet use among stroke survivors. In this study, we sought to compare internet use in a nationally representative sample of individuals with and without stroke.