Strategies To Assist People With Disabilities During Health Emergencies, Concerning The COVID-19 - Systematic Review

ABSTRACT

Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected thousands of people worldwide. The collapse of health systems led to increased difficulties in accessing health care for people with disabilities. The objective was to define strategies to support the implementation of health care for people with disabilities. Methods. The protocol for the systematic review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021266341). Searches were done in seven databases, using MeSH terms related to COVID-19 and disability, in 2021. We included interventions that addressed health, education and social assistance. Results. Twenty-nine studies were included. A meta-synthesis identified strategies to assist individuals with disabilities creation of emergency accommodation and protection programs;flexible work arrangements;cash transfer programs;community participation in planning;establishment of support networks;social assistance even in periods of health emergency;teleconsultation services, telerehabilitation and systems that facilitate the use of digital technologies for telemedicine;inclusive guidelines for computer literacy and learning. The main implementation action was comprehensive health care centered on the needs of people with disabilities, with a focus on training community informants, continuing education of health professionals and caregivers for emergency situations, decentralization of care, identification and elimination of barriers to access. Conclusions. Even though the focus was on telehealth and social assistance, achieving comprehensive healthcare requires a range of interventions that together will support the reduction of inequity faced by people with disabilities.