Is the 360 Degree Turn Test a Safe and Reliable Tool for Post-Stroke Tele-Assessment?

Background: Despite the growing use of telehealth in stroke rehabilitation, it remains unclear whether online assessments can match the accuracy of in-person evaluations. Purpose: To investigate the safety and reliability of tele-assessment using the 360 Degree Turn Test in individuals with chronic stroke under controlled conditions. Methods: Twenty-five individuals with chronic stroke were assessed both in person and via synchronous tele-assessment with a 24-48-hour interval. Online assessments were conducted via video call by a trained physiotherapist. One month later, the same physiotherapist and a second physiotherapist scored the recorded assessments asynchronously. Results: There was a high level of agreement between in-person and tele-assessment (ICC > 0.90). Tele-assessment demonstrated excellent intra- and inter-rater reliability. However, participants took significantly longer to complete the test during tele-assessment (p < 0.05). No adverse events were observed. Conclusion: Tele-assessment using the 360 Degree Turn Test demonstrated high reliability and appeared to be safe under the specific conditions tested (i.e., chronic participants, caregiver presence, and controlled environment). However, performance outcomes obtained via tele-assessment may not be directly comparable to in-person assessments in longitudinal follow-up.