How a Developing Country Faces COVID-19 Rehabilitation: The Chilean Experience

The coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) pandemic has been one of the most significant challenges to public health in recent decades. The heterogeneity of government responses and the varying preparedness of health systems has determined that the pandemic's impact differs from country to country. Chile is no stranger to the challenges posed by rehabilitation in a developing country. We aimed to describe the approach to rehabilitation during the pandemic in Chile in the public health system since rehabilitation is considered a relevant health strategy from the prevention to management of complications, mitigation of sequelae, or new complications associated with COVID-19. For this, a descriptive study was conducted on the rehabilitation strategies implemented by Chile to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis includes the context of the Chilean health system and the matrix of access to rehabilitation services in COVID-19. The Health Ministry (MINSAL) rehabilitation strategy includes five central axes: approaches, specific lines, transversal lines, intervention, and funding. Additionally, the policies were based and supported by the WHO recommendations. Intensive care unit beds were increased approximately 68%, and the primary care response was the reconversion of function depending on the epidemiological context. During the 2021–2022 period, the estimated number of people diagnosed with a post-COVID-19 condition was 80,528. With this, we can conclude that a developing country has managed to coordinate a rehabilitation policy for people with COVID-19 by generating a structure of the different health system levels. However, the effectiveness of this policy will need to be evaluated in the future.

Implementation of physiotherapy telerehabilitation before and post Covid-19 outbreak: A comparative narrative between South American countries and Australia.

The continuous development in telecommunication tech-nologies has created opportunities for health professionals to optimise healthcare delivery by adopting digital tools into rehabilitation programs (i.e., telerehabilitation). These tech-nological advances, along with the demographic and social characteristics of each country, have made the implementa-tion of telerehabilitation a disparate process across regions. We have gathered the experience of four countries (Australia, Chile, Brazil, and Colombia) in two different regions (Ocea-nia and South America) to recompile the history pre- and post-Covid-19 outbreak until January of 2021, the barriers to, and facilitators of telerehabilitation, and outline the future challenges for these countries.

Variations in the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across 5 continents: A cross-sectional, individual level analysis.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has caused profound socio-economic changes worldwide. However, internationally comparative data regarding the financial impact on individuals is sparse. Therefore, we conducted a survey of the financial impact of the pandemic on individuals, using an international cohort that has been well-characterized prior to the pandemic. METHODS: Between August 2020 and September 2021, we surveyed 24,506 community-dwelling participants from the Prospective Urban-Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study across high (HIC), upper middle (UMIC)-and lower middle (LMIC)-income countries. We collected information regarding the impact of the pandemic on their self-reported personal finances and sources of income. FINDINGS: Overall, 32.4% of participants had suffered an adverse financial impact, defined as job loss, inability to meet financial obligations or essential needs, or using savings to meet financial obligations. 8.4% of participants had lost a job (temporarily or permanently); 14.6% of participants were unable to meet financial obligations or essential needs at the time of the survey and 16.3% were using their savings to meet financial obligations. Participants with a post-secondary education were least likely to be adversely impacted (19.6%), compared with 33.4% of those with secondary education and 33.5% of those with pre-secondary education. Similarly, those in the highest wealth tertile were least likely to be financially impacted (26.7%), compared with 32.5% in the middle tertile and 30.4% in the bottom tertile participants. Compared with HICs, financial impact was greater in UMIC [odds ratio of 2.09 (1.88-2.33)] and greatest in LMIC [odds ratio of 16.88 (14.69-19.39)]. HIC participants with the lowest educational attainment suffered less financial impact (15.1% of participants affected) than those with the highest education in UMIC (22.0% of participants affected). Similarly, participants with the lowest education in UMIC experienced less financial impact (28.3%) than those with the highest education in LMIC (45.9%). A similar gradient was seen across country income categories when compared by pre-pandemic wealth status. INTERPRETATION: The financial impact of the pandemic differs more between HIC, UMIC, and LMIC than between socio-economic categories within a country income level. The most disadvantaged socio-economic subgroups in HIC had a lower financial impact from the pandemic than the most advantaged subgroup in UMIC, with a similar disparity seen between UMIC and LMIC. Continued high levels of infection will exacerbate financial inequity between countries and hinder progress towards the sustainable development goals, emphasising the importance of effective measures to control COVID-19 and, especially, ensuring high vaccine coverage in all countries. FUNDING: Funding for this study was provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the International Development Research Centre.

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.

Recommendations for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 testing: a scoping review of current guidance.

BACKGROUND: Testing used in screening, diagnosis and follow-up of COVID-19 has been a subject of debate. Several organisations have developed formal advice about testing for COVID-19 to assist in the control of the disease. We collated, delineated and appraised current worldwide recommendations about the role and applications of tests to control SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19. METHODS: We searched for documents providing recommendations for COVID-19 testing in PubMed, EMBASE, LILACS, the Coronavirus Open Access Project living evidence database and relevant websites such as TRIP database, ECRI Guidelines Trust, the GIN database, from inception to 21 September 2020. Two reviewers applied the eligibility criteria to potentially relevant citations without language or geographical restrictions. We extracted data in duplicate, including assessment of methodological quality using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation-II tool. RESULTS: We included 47 relevant documents and 327 recommendations about testing. Regarding the quality of the documents, we found that the domains with the lowest scores were 'Editorial independence' (Median=4%) and 'Applicability' (Median=6%). Only six documents obtained at least 50% score for the 'Rigour of development' domain. An important number of recommendations focused on the diagnosis of suspected cases (48%) and deisolation measures (11%). The most frequently recommended test was the reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assay (87 recommendations) and the chest CT (38 recommendations). There were 22 areas of agreement among guidance developers, including the use of RT-PCR for SARS-Cov-2 confirmation, the limited role of bronchoscopy, the use chest CT and chest X-rays for grading severity and the co-assessment for other respiratory pathogens. CONCLUSION: This first scoping review of recommendations for COVID-19 testing showed many limitations in the methodological quality of included guidance documents that could affect the confidence of clinicians in their implementation. Future guidance documents should incorporate a minimum set of key methodological characteristics to enhance their applicability for decision making.

Efectividad de la telerehabilitación en terapia física: protocolo de una revisión global en tiempos que exigen respuestas rápidas

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. 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.

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.