Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation in Physical Therapy: A Rapid Overview

Abstract

Objective The purpose of this article was to summarize the available evidence from systematic reviews on telerehabilitation in physical therapy. Methods Medline/Pubmed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases. In addition, the records in PROSPERO and Epistemonikos and PEDro were consulted. Systematic reviews of different conditions, populations and contexts, where the intervention to be evaluated is telerehabilitation by physical therapy were included. The outcomes were clinical effectiveness depending on specific condition, functionality, quality of life, satisfaction, adherence and safety. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were carried out by a reviewer with non-independent verification by a second reviewer. The findings are reported qualitatively by tables and figures. Results Fifty-three systematic reviews were included of which 17 were assessed as having low risk of bias. Fifteen reviews were on cardiorespiratory rehabilitation, 14 on musculoskeletal conditions and 13 on neurorehabilitation. Other 11 reviews addressed other types of conditions and rehabilitation. Thirteen reviews evaluated with low risk of bias showed results in favor of telerehabilitation versus in-person rehabilitation or no-rehabilitation, while 17 reported no differences between the groups. Thirty-five reviews with unclear or high risk of bias showed mixed results. Conclusions Despite the contradictory results, telerehabilitation in physical therapy could be comparable to in-person rehabilitation or better than no-rehabilitation for conditions such as osteoarthritis, low back pain, hip and knee replacement, multiple sclerosis, and also in the context of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. It is imperative to conduct better quality clinical trials and systematic reviews. Impact Providing with the best available evidence on the effectiveness of telerehabilitation to professionals, mainly physical therapists, will impact the decision-making process and therefore better clinical outcomes for patients, both in these times of covid-19 pandemic and in the future. The identification of research gaps will also contribute to the generation of relevant and novel research questions.

Effectiveness of a Primary Care Telerehabilitation Program for Post-COVID-19 Patients: A Feasibility Study

“…It is important to emphasize that our results align with what was observed in telerehabilitation programs for conditions such as osteoarthritis, low-back pain, hip and knee replacement, and multiple sclerosis and in the context of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation [ 15 ].…”

“…From the aforementioned, the need arises to establish telerehabilitation programs so that people with post-COVID-19 sequelae can receive an intervention that helps minimize the functional impact of this disease on their lives [ 13 ]. Although there are only a few studies that have used telerehabilitation in patients with COVID-19 [ 14 ], this intervention has been shown to be effective in respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological pathologies [ 15 ].…”

Lessons Learned during a Naturalistic Study of Online Treatment for Pediatric Rehabilitation

“…The system measures passive and active ROM and movement accuracy in relation to presented virtual targets. It is anticipated that both observational and quantitative assessment of joint range of motion and muscle strength will improve within the next two to five years [ 42 , 43 ].…”

“…Further lessons are being documented through IMOH’s special telehealth interest groups including a group of allied health professional working with children with special needs. ALYN has recently updated its policies to include a tele-rehabilitation protocol based on the IMOH occupational therapy position paper [ 43 ]. Some countries (e.g., the USA, Australia) had policies on telehealth services in place pre-COVID-19.…”

Telerreabilitação em grupo para pacientes com dor lombar crônica: Estudo longitudinal retrospectivo

“…(2020), a prática de saúde apoiada pelas tecnologias de informação demonstra benefícios na melhora da dor e da incapacidade, a curto prazo, em pacientes com dor lombar crônica. A telerreabilitação foi a alternativa proposta para continuidade das condutas no contexto da pandemia da COVID-19, sendo sugerida por Seron et al (2021) como uma terapia eficaz, apresentando resultados semelhantes à forma presencial e melhor do que não realizar reabilitação para condições como a dor lombar. Dias et al (2021) concluem que o exercício físico na telerreabilitação pode ser uma opção relevante para o tratamento da dor, função física e qualidade de vida em adultos com deficiência.…”