A First Randomized Eight-Week Multidisciplinary Telerehabilitation Study for the Post-COVID-19 Condition: Improvements in Health- and Pain-Related Parameters.
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Bileviciute-Ljungar I, Apelman A, Braconier L, Östhols S, Norrefalk J, Borg K
J Clin Med 14 (2) -
[2025-01-14; online 2025-01-14]
Background/Objectives: This study investigates the effects of multidisciplinary telerehabilitation for the post-COVID-19 condition. Methods: Recruitment was announced during 2021/22 through the COVID patient organisation in Sweden. The key inclusion criteria were persistent symptoms and functional impairments longer than 12 weeks after an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, a stable health condition, and satisfactory skills to use the Internet. Participants were randomised into a rehabilitation group or a waiting list. Telerehabilitation was performed by a multidisciplinary team. Measured outcomes included health- and pain-related parameters and pain-related disability after eight weeks and when followed up after six months. Results: In total, 164 participants registered for the study. Of them, 67 participated in an eight-week group telerehabilitation programme (mean age 43, 78% women) and 42 stayed on a waiting list (mean age 47, 88% women) after eight weeks. Sixty participants from the rehabilitation group and 21 from the waiting list completed the data at the six-month follow-up. The results show greater improvements in both health- and pain-related parameters within the telerehabilitation group after eight weeks and six months than within the waiting list group (Cohen's d effect size varied between moderate and large). However, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups, except participants being at a lower risk of anxiety measured based on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale after eight weeks of telerehabilitation compared to those on the waiting list. Conclusions: The results indicate that multidisciplinary group telerehabilitation is beneficial for improving health- and pain-related parameters in people suffering from the post-COVID-19 condition and should be further developed and adapted for similar conditions, such as chronic pain, fatigue, etc.
Category: Social Science & Humanities
PubMed 39860492
DOI 10.3390/jcm14020486
Crossref 10.3390/jcm14020486
pmc: PMC11766284
pii: jcm14020486