Application of Telerehabilitation for Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

• Published in: Disaster medicine and public health preparedness Vol. 17; p. e402
• Main Authors: Ahmadi Marzaleh, Milad, Peyravi, Mahmoudreza, Azhdari, Negar, Bahaadinbeigy, Kambiz, Sarpourian, Fatemeh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, USA Cambridge University Press 25.08.2022
• Subjects: Aged; Brazil; Chronic illnesses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Medical research; Older people; Pandemics; Rehabilitation; Systematic Review; Telemedicine; Telerehabilitation; Brazil; COVID-19; telemedicine; rehabilitation; elderly
• ISSN: 1935-7893; 1938-744X
• DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2022.219

The use of telerehabilitation in different disciplines, particularly in the rehabilitation of older adults, has grown significantly across the world. In the wake of the coronavirus disease 2919 (COVID-19) outbreak, a chance has arisen to improve the user experience and to draw attention to the advantages of using this service. The current research aimed to evaluate the investigations that used telerehabilitation to assist elderly people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Systematic searches of papers published between September 1, 2019, and December 1, 2021, were conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and ProQuest databases. The author narrowed down the list of articles by using search terms. Ultimately, publications from the COVID-19 period were studied for their perspectives on the use of telerehabilitation among the elderly population. The whole process was supervised by 2 investigators at the same time. In total, 2529 articles were included in the first search. Five articles were chosen for further assessment based on the careful consideration of their titles, abstracts, and full texts. Cross-sectional, feasibility, case, and interventional studies comprised 20%, 20%, 20%, and 40% of the papers, respectively. The studies were carried out in Brazil, the United States, Germany, Japan, and South Korea and involved using telerehabilitation for elderly individuals, identification of crucial manifestations and impairments, improving physical function in this population, and ensuring their happiness. Using a digital strategy for rehabilitation should be regarded as a means of overcoming the field's obstacles. As a result, legislators and rehabilitation groups should consider the use of telerehabilitation for the elderly population during the COVID-19 pandemic.