Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation in Physical Therapy: A Rapid Overview.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article was to summarize the available evidence from systematic reviews on telerehabilitation in physical therapy. METHODS: We searched 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 in the 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. The 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 with in-person rehabilitation or better than no rehabilitation for conditions such as osteoarthritis, low-back pain, hip and knee replacement, and 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 the best available evidence on the effectiveness of telerehabilitation to professionals, mainly physical therapists, will impact the decision-making process and therefore yield better clinical outcomes for patients, both in these times of the 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 telerehabilitation in physical therapy: A protocol for an overview in a time when rapid responses are needed. / Efectividad de la telerehabilitación en terapia física: protocolo de una revisión global en tiempos que exigen respuestas rápidas.

INTRODUCTION: Rehabilitation and physical therapy have been adapting to the telehealth era, increasing accessibility and improving the continuity of attention in geographically remote populations with disabilities. Due to the spread of infection by SARS-CoV-2, many professionals have had to adapt their work to telerehabilitation practices, which require the best evidence at short notice and in summarized form. In this context, this protocol has been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of telerehabilitation as a care strategy in physical therapy for different conditions, populations, and contexts. METHOD AND ANALYSIS: An overview will be carried out in the format of a rapid review. It will include systematic reviews of different conditions, populations, and contexts, where the intervention to be evaluated is telerehabilitation by physical therapy. The outcomes considered will be clinical effectiveness depending on the specific condition, functionality, quality of life, satisfaction, adherence, and safety. A search will be carried out of the MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. Studies will be selected in duplicate with any discrepancies resolved by a third reviewer. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment will be carried out by a reviewer with non-independent verification by a second reviewer. The findings will be reported qualitatively by tables and figures. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The principles of the value of the research question, the methodological rigor, scientifically qualified investigators, an independent evaluation of the protocol, and timely and accurate publication of the results will be complied with. The complete review will lead to the publication of at least one article, and the results will be widely disseminated at various levels of decision-making. REGISTER: This protocol has been registered in PROSPERO with the number CRD42020185640.

INTRODUCCIÓN: La rehabilitación y las acciones de terapia física se han ido adaptando a la era de la telesalud, permitiendo aumentar la accesibilidad y mejorar la continuidad de la atención en poblaciones con discapacidades y alejadas geográficamente. En la actualidad, y debido a expansión de la infección por SARS-CoV-2, muchos profesionales han debido adaptar su trabajo a una modalidad de telerehabilitación, por lo que es necesario acceder a la mejor evidencia disponible de manera resumida y oportuna. Es en este contexto que se ha desarrollado el presente protocolo, con el objetivo de evaluar la efectividad de la telerehabilitación como estrategia de atención en terapia física para diferentes condiciones, poblaciones y contextos. MÉTODO Y ANÁLISIS: Se conducirá una revisión global o revisión de revisiones, en un formato de revisión rápida siguiendo las recomendaciones PRISMA-P. Se incluirán revisiones sistemáticas de diferentes condiciones, poblaciones y contextos, donde la intervención a evaluar es la telerehabilitación en terapia física. Los desenlaces de interés a considerar son la efectividad clínica dependiendo de la condición específica, la funcionalidad, calidad de vida, satisfacción, adherencia y seguridad. Se realizará una búsqueda en las bases de datos MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE y Cochrane Library. La selección de los estudios será realizada en duplicado con resolución de discrepancias por un tercer revisor. La extracción de datos y la evaluación del riesgo de sesgos serán realizadas por un revisor con verificación no independiente de un segundo revisor. Los hallazgos serán reportados cualitativamente a través de tablas y figuras. ÉTICA Y DISEMINACIÓN: Se considera el cumplimiento de los principios éticos del valor de la pregunta de investigación, rigor metodológico, investigadores científicamente cualificados, evaluación independiente del protocolo y publicación puntual y precisa de los resultados. Se espera publicar la revisión completa en al menos un artículo y los resultados se difundirán ampliamente en diversos niveles de decisión. REGISTRO: El protocolo está registrado en PROSPERO con el número CRD42020185640.

Efectividad de la telerehabilitación en terapia física: protocolo de una revisión global en tiempos que exigen respuestas rápidas / Effectiveness of telerehabilitation in physical therapy: a protocol for an overview in a time when rapid responses are needed

INTRODUCCIÓN: La rehabilitación y las acciones de terapia física se han ido adaptando a la era de la telesalud, permitiendo aumentar la accesibilidad y mejorar la continuidad de la atención en poblaciones con discapacidades y alejadas geográficamente. En la actualidad, y debido a expansión de la infección por SARS-CoV-2, muchos profesionales han debido adaptar su trabajo a una modalidad de telerehabilitación, por lo que es necesario acceder a la mejor evidencia disponible de manera resumida y oportuna. Es en este contexto que se ha desarrollado el presente protocolo, con el objetivo de evaluar la efectividad de la telerehabilitación como estrategia de atención en terapia física para diferentes condiciones, poblaciones y contextos. MÉTODO Y ANÁLISIS: Se conducirá una revisión global o revisión de revisiones, en un formato de revisión rápida siguiendo las recomendaciones PRISMA-P. Se incluirán revisiones sistemáticas de diferentes condiciones, poblaciones y contextos, donde la intervención a evaluar es la telerehabilitación en terapia física. Los desenlaces de interés a considerar son la efectividad clínica dependiendo de la condición específica, la funcionalidad, calidad de vida, satisfacción, adherencia y seguridad. Se realizará una búsqueda en las bases de datos MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE y Cochrane Library. La selección de los estudios será realizada en duplicado con resolución de discrepancias por un tercer revisor. La extracción de datos y la evaluación del riesgo de sesgos serán realizadas por un revisor con verificación no independiente de un segundo revisor. Los hallazgos serán reportados cualitativamente a través de tablas y figuras. ÉTICA Y DISEMINACIÓN: Se considera el cumplimiento de los principios éticos del valor de la pregunta de investigación, rigor metodológico, investigadores científicamente cualificados, evaluación independiente del protocolo y publicación puntual y precisa de los resultados. Se espera publicar la revisión completa en al menos un artículo y los resultados se difundirán ampliamente en diversos niveles de decisión.

INTRODUCTION: Rehabilitation and physical therapy have been adapting to the telehealth era, increasing accessibility and improving the continuity of attention in geographically remote populations with disabilities. Due to the spread of infection by SARS-CoV-2, many professionals have had to adapt their work to telerehabilitation practices, which require the best evidence at short notice and in summarized form. In this context, this protocol has been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of telerehabilitation as a care strategy in physical therapy for different conditions, populations, and contexts. METHOD AND ANALYSIS: An overview will be carried out in the format of a rapid review. It will include systematic reviews of different conditions, populations, and contexts, where the intervention to be evaluated is telerehabilitation by physical therapy. The outcomes considered will be clinical effectiveness depending on the specific condition, functionality, quality of life, satisfaction, adherence, and safety. A search will be carried out of the MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. Studies will be selected in duplicate with any discrepancies resolved by a third reviewer. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment will be carried out by a reviewer with non-independent verification by a second reviewer. The findings will be reported qualitatively by tables and figures. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The principles of the value of the research question, the methodological rigor, scientifically qualified investigators, an independent evaluation of the protocol, and timely and accurate publication of the results will be complied with. The complete review will lead to the publication of at least one article, and the results will be widely disseminated at various levels of decision-making.