5 things you need to know about Telerehabilitation
Telerehabilitation has gained immense popularity, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, I had my own doubts about telerehab as to how effectively can I understand my patient's symptoms? Will I able to assess them adequately to make a correct decision?
Well, I began to realize that telerehabilitation was actually a wonderful model of providing care to my patients. Moreover, there has been no difference in the level of patient & therapist interaction achieved through the online mode of consultation when compared to physical meetings.
Looking at the road ahead, it is evident that we are going to face consecutive waves and spikes in the COVID-19 cases not only in India but also globally. This will again demand us to maintain enough social distancing and make fewer hospital visits. So, telerehabilitation is definitely going to be our savior.
For the last few months, apart from my academic commitments as a Ph.D. Scholar, I have been engaged in ONLINE TELEREHABILITATION services for patients with COVID-19 and in this blog, I am addressing 5 questions that I believe will be of relevance to my readers.
Question 1: Is telerehabilitation effective for COVID-19?
Answer: Yes, it is absolutely effective.
Question 2: Who is the right candidate for telerehabilitation?
Answer: Anyone with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms such as cough, breathlessness, fatigue, body pain who are maintaining room air (with SPO2 between 96–100%) or those on any supplemental oxygen therapy at home (with SPO2 between 90–95%), are the right candidates for telerehabilitation. Also, if you are in home isolation or have been recently discharged from a hospital Post COVID-19, you should definitely contact a cardiopulmonary physiotherapist and start with telerehabilitation. Please note that if you have a fever, which is intermittent (ON & OFF), you must wait and not start any exercises until the fever subsides completely.
Question 3: What basic types of equipment should a patient need before starting telerehabilitation?
Answer: As a patient, you need to have a pulse oximeter to monitor the oxygen saturation (SPO2) and an incentive spirometer (a device used to improve lung function). Also, do not forget to have a mobile phone with good internet speed, to ensure no interruptions during your telerehab sessions.
Question 4: What reports should I provide to my physiotherapists?
Answer: You must provide details of any pre-existing health condition which you have had and are currently on medications for the same (such as diabetes, hypertension, any recent heart surgery, etc). You must also provide exact details of when your symptoms of COVID-19 began, what were the predominant symptoms, how many days did they last, what supportive diagnostic tests have you taken to detect COVID-19 such as Rapid antigen test, RT-PCR test, Chest X-Ray, HRCT Thorax, Complete Blood Count along with specific tests like the D-Dimer assay, test for inflammatory markers like Interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein, etc.
Question 5: Will I look silly to my therapists, if I ask too many questions?
Answer: It is normal to be anxious when you have been detected positive for COVID-19. Your therapists would never judge you for the questions you ask them. Keep your communication clear, so it helps you recover faster. One simple method is to write down your questions and discuss them with your therapists before or after your therapy sessions. Having a clear mind will help you focus better and have an understanding of how you can improve your health.
Lastly, Take care and Stay Safe!
