Digital Physiotherapy Practice in Long Covid-19 Patients

The COVID-19 can cause important sequels in the respiratory system by bilateral pneumonia and frequently presents loss of strength, dyspnea, polyneuropathies and multi-organic affectation. Long COVID-19 has been defined as the condition occurring in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, with related symptoms lasting at least 2 months and not explainable by an alternative diagnosis. The practice of digital physiotherapy presents itself as a promising complementary treatment method to standard physiotherapy, playing a key role in the recovery of function in subjects who have passed the disease and who maintain some symptomatology over time. The aims of this research are to explore the effect of a digital physiotherapy intervention on functional recovery in patients diagnosed with Long COVID-19 and to identify the level of adherence to the treatment carried out. Physiotherapy interventions acquires a fundamental role in the recovery of the functions and the quality of life. As secondary objectives, the aim is to identify the satisfaction and perception of patients with the intervention and the presence of barriers to its implementation (throught a qualitative research), as well as to evaluate the cost-effectiveness from the perspective of the health system. A quasi-experimental pre-post study assessed initially and at the end of the 4-week intervention the functional capacity (1-min STS and SPPB) and the adherence (software). The hypothesis of this research is that the implementation of a TR program presents positive results. If hypothesis is confirmed, that would be an opportunity to define new policies and interventions to address this disease and its consequences.