Telerehabilitation of Post-Stroke Patients as a Therapeutic Solution in the Era of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Paulina Magdalena OstrowskaMaciej ŚliwińskiRafał StudnickiRita Hansdorfer-KorzonPublished in: Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) (2021)
(1) Background: Due to the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, rehabilitation centres have become less available for neurological patients. This is the result of efforts to physically distance society, to try to slow the spread of the pathogen. Health care facilities were mainly restricted to urgent cases, while most physiotherapy treatments, mainly for patients with chronic conditions, were suspended. Some countries have seen a reduction in acute stroke hospital admissions of from 50% to 80%. One solution to the above problem is the use of telerehabilitation in the home environment as an alternative to inpatient rehabilitation. (2) Aim of the study: The purpose of this review is to analyse the benefits and limitations of teletherapy in relation to the functional condition of post-stroke patients. (3) Methods: Selected publications from 2019 to 2021 on the telerehabilitation of stroke patients were reviewed. The review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) checklist. (4) Results: Studies have proven that teletherapy significantly improves the functional condition of post-stroke patients, resulting in improved quality of life and faster return to independence (while maintaining maximum possible precautions related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic). (5) Conclusions: Analysis of the study results showed comparable effectiveness of rehabilitation in the tele system to inpatient therapy. However, it should be emphasised that patients undergoing telerehabilitation must meet strict conditions to be eligible for this type of treatment program. However, the strength of the evidence itself supporting the effectiveness of this method ranks low due to the limited number of randomised control trials (RCT), small number of participants, and heterogeneous trials.
Keyphrases
- sars cov
- healthcare
- systematic review
- patients undergoing
- end stage renal disease
- randomized controlled trial
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- coronavirus disease
- clinical trial
- mental health
- peritoneal dialysis
- quality improvement
- newly diagnosed
- chronic kidney disease
- stem cells
- open label
- emergency department
- social media
- patient reported outcomes
- health information
- adverse drug
- subarachnoid hemorrhage
- patient reported
- affordable care act