Physical Therapy effectiveness applied through telerehabilitation during the state of exception in Ecuador due to the health emergency of SARS-COV2 (COVID 19)

Due to the global conjuncture caused by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID 19), health centers and providers have been forced to take alternative measures to provide treatments while safeguarding the health of patients and professionals. In the area of Physical Therapy, telerehabilitation has been the chosen method that allows permanent contact with the patient and at the same time satisfies the requirements of social distancing, without interrupting the recovery process. To determine the effectiveness of the physiotherapeutic interventions applied through telerehabilitation to the patients of the Physical Therapy Laboratory of the Technical University of Ambato, is the purpose of the research, during the state of exception provided by the Government of Ecuador for the health emergency SARS-CoV-2. The study was non-experimental and retrospective, with a quali-quantitative approach, the medical records were classified according to age, sex and diagnosis. The SF-12 Health questionnaire and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were applied to the patients;then the comparative statistical analysis between the SF-12 and VAS was performed before and after the treatment period, using the SPSS software. of the 38 initial participants, in 23.7% the pain disappeared completely;On average, the SF-12 score increased by 14 points (initial 29.9 vs final 43.7) while the T test found significant differences, since when examining the initial and final results of the VAS and the SF-12 questionnaire, A value of 0.00 was obtained, the reference being p = 0.05;thus confirming that the affirmative hypothesis is accepted. All participants showed improvement in quality of life and decrease in pain, concluding that physiotherapy through telerehabilitation is an effective alternative method, in situations in which physical contact with the patient must be avoided.

Hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes and the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a survey conducted in patients enrolled in a dedicated registry.

PURPOSE: The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had profound consequences also for non-infected patients. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on the quality of life of a population with hereditary gastrointestinal cancer predisposition syndromes and on the surveillance/oncological care program of patients enrolled in a dedicated registry. METHODS: The study was conducted by means of an online self-report survey during the first Italian national lockdown. The survey comprised four sections: demographics; perception/knowledge of COVID-19; impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surveillance and cancer care; health status (SF-12 questionnaire). RESULTS: 211 complete questionnaires were considered. 25.12% of respondents reported being not at all frightened by COVID-19, 63.98% felt "not at all" or "a little" more fragile than the healthy general population, and 66.82% felt the coronavirus to be no more dangerous to them than the healthy general population. 88.15% of respondents felt protected knowing they were monitored by a team of dedicated professionals. CONCLUSION: Patients with hereditary gastrointestinal cancer predisposition syndromes reported experiencing less fear related to COVID-19 than the healthy general population. The study results suggest that being enrolled in a dedicated registry can reassure patients, especially during health crises.