Telerehabilitation program for older adults on a waiting list for physical therapy after hospital discharge: study protocol for a pragmatic randomized trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Delays in starting physical therapy after hospital discharge worsen deconditioning in older adults. Intervening quickly can minimize the negative effects of deconditioning. Telerehabilitation is a strategy that increases access to rehabilitation, improves clinical outcomes, and reduces costs. This paper presents the protocol for a pragmatic clinical trial that aims to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a multi-component intervention offered by telerehabilitation for discharged older adults awaiting physical therapy for any specific medical condition. METHODS: This is a pragmatic randomized controlled clinical trial with two groups: telerehabilitation and control. Participants (n=230) will be recruited among individuals discharged from hospitals who are in the public healthcare system physical therapy waiting lists. The telerehabilitation group will receive a smartphone app with a personalized program (based on individual's functional ability) of resistance, balance, and daily activity training exercises. The intervention will be implemented at the individuals' homes. This group will be monitored weekly by phone and monthly through a face-to-face meeting until they start physical therapy. The control group will adhere to the public healthcare system's usual flow and will be monitored weekly by telephone until they start physical therapy. The primary outcome will be a physical function (Timed Up and Go and 30-s Chair Stand Test). The measurements will take place in baseline, start, and discharge of outpatient physical therapy. The economic evaluations will be performed from the perspective of society and the Brazilian public healthcare system. DISCUSSION: The study will produce evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of multi-component telerehabilitation intervention for discharged older adult patients awaiting physical therapy, providing input that can aid the implementation of similar proposals in other patient groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC), RBR-9243v7 . Registered on 24 August 2020.

Effectiveness of exercises by telerehabilitation on pain, physical function and quality of life in people with physical disabilities: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials with GRADE recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate whether exercise-based telerehabilitation improves pain, physical function and quality of life in adults with physical disabilities. DESIGN: Systematic review of randomised controlled trials. DATA SOURCES: Searches were performed in AMED, MEDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Embase, PEDro, Cochrane Library and PsycINFO. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Trials were considered if they evaluated exercise by telerehabilitation. The population included adults with physical disability. Comparisons were control and other interventions. The outcomes were pain, physical function and quality of life. Study selection, data extraction and analysis followed the protocol registered in PROSPERO (CRD42019122824). GRADE determined the strength of evidence. RESULTS: Forty-eight trials were included in the quantitative analysis. When compared with other interventions, there was high-quality evidence that telerehabilitation was not different to other interventions for pain (95% CI: -0.4 to 0.1), physical function (95% CI: -0.2 to 0.2) and quality of life (95% CI: -0.1 to 0.5) at long-term. There was moderate-quality evidence that telerehabilitation was not different to other interventions for physical function (95% CI: -0.1 to 0.5) and quality of life (95% CI: -0.2 to 0.5) at short-term. However, due to the low-quality evidence and the small number of trials comparing exercise protocols offered by telerehabilitation with control groups, it is still not possible to state the efficacy of telerehabilitation on pain, function and quality of life at short-term and long-term. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise by telerehabilitation may be an alternative to treat pain, physical function and quality of life in adults with physical disabilities when compared with other intervention.

Characteristics and functional demands of patients at a local rehabilitation network: analysis from first contact. / Características e demandas funcionais de usuários de uma rede local de reabilitação: análise a partir do acolhimento.

The cross sectional study aims to create the patients' profile and understand their demands for seeking public rehabilitation services from Belo Horizonte. Data were analyzed from 516 patients who gained entry into the health care system by means of the Protocol for Identification of Problems for Rehabilitation (PLPR). It allows for gathering information related to one's health and the social context, including a brief functional description (BFD) with 25 items. Most patients were females, mean age of 57 years, and 54% declared to be responsible for the family income. Severe or complete difficulty in at least one item from the BFD was reported by 87%. Pain and Mobility domains showed greater disability. The patient's demand for services referred them mostly to physical therapy (89%), and psychology (14%); 77% were referred to basic care (BC) and 21% to specialized care (SC). Those that started rehabilitation in SC were younger, had increased number of high ratings in item's qualifiers and higher total score in the BFD, indicating increased functional limitation and restriction. It is intended that the information provided by the PLPR may contribute to the organization of patients' flow and the planning of actions.

Características e demandas funcionais de usuários de uma rede local de reabilitação: análise a partir do acolhimento / Characteristics and functional demands of patients at a local rehabilitation network: analysis from first contact

Resumo Este estudo transversal objetiva traçar o perfil e conhecer as demandas dos usuários que buscaram os serviços públicos de reabilitação de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Foram analisados dados de 516 usuários acolhidos por meio do Protocolo de Levantamento de Problemas para a Reabilitação (PLPR), que permite a coleta de informações sobre a saúde, contexto social e inclui uma Breve Descrição Funcional (BDF) com 25 itens, em 10 domínios. A maioria dos usuários era de mulheres, média de idade de 57 anos e 54% declararam ser o responsável pela renda familiar. Dificuldade grave ou completa foi relatada por 87%, em pelo menos um dos itens da BDF, sendo os domínios Dor e Mobilidade os de maior incapacidade. A demanda por profissionais foi, principalmente, para Fisioterapeuta (89%), e Psicólogo (14%); 77% foram indicados para iniciar o tratamento na Atenção Básica (AB) e 21% na Atenção Especializada (AE). Aqueles que iniciaram na AE eram mais jovens; com maior número de qualificadores altos e elevada pontuação na BDF, indicando maior limitação/restrição funcional. Espera-se que as informações disponibilizadas pelo PLPR possam contribuir para a organização do fluxo e o planejamento de ações.

Abstract The cross sectional study aims to create the patients’ profile and understand their demands for seeking public rehabilitation services from Belo Horizonte. Data were analyzed from 516 patients who gained entry into the health care system by means of the Protocol for Identification of Problems for Rehabilitation (PLPR). It allows for gathering information related to one’s health and the social context, including a brief functional description (BFD) with 25 items. Most patients were females, mean age of 57 years, and 54% declared to be responsible for the family income. Severe or complete difficulty in at least one item from the BFD was reported by 87%. Pain and Mobility domains showed greater disability. The patient’s demand for services referred them mostly to physical therapy (89%), and psychology (14%); 77% were referred to basic care (BC) and 21% to specialized care (SC). Those that started rehabilitation in SC were younger, had increased number of high ratings in item’s qualifiers and higher total score in the BFD, indicating increased functional limitation and restriction. It is intended that the information provided by the PLPR may contribute to the organization of patients’ flow and the planning of actions.