Restricted accessReview articleFirst published online 2024-08
Effect of Telerehabilitation on Pulmonary Function,Functional Capacity,Physical Fitness,Dyspnea,Fatigue,and Quality of Life in COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Metanalysis
This study aimed to demonstrate the technological means used to offer telerehabilitation and to evaluate the effect of physical exercise on the population affected by COVID-19.
Methods:
Clinical trials were searched in the electronic databases Cochrane Library, PubMed/MEDLINE, EBSCO (CINAHL), PEDro, and Web of Science from January 16 to 19, 2023. The effect measure was estimated as mean difference (MD) or standard MD (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Subgroup analysis was used to study potential moderating factors.
Results:
Twenty-four articles, describing trials with a total of 1,344 individuals affected by COVID-19, were included in the qualitative synthesis and 14 articles in the meta-analysis. The pooled results revealed that telerehabilitation improves the functional capacity (MD 79.65 [63.57, 95.73]m, p < 0.00001), agility (MD −0.69 [−1.33, −0.04] s, p = 0.04), lower limb strength and endurance (SMD 0.74 [0.52, 0.96], p < 0.00001), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (MD 0.22 [−0.04, 0.49] L, p = 0.10), and dyspnea (SMD −0.94 [−1.64, −0.24], p = 0.009). The dynamic muscular resistance training associated or not with other exercise modalities led to improvements in muscular strength (MD 4.69 [0.44, 8.94] kg, p = 0.03) and fatigue (SMD −0.97 [−1.74, −0.20], p = 0.01). In addition, telerehabilitation showed improvements in the quality of life in the contagious-phase COVID-19 patients. Although this intervention improved inspiratory muscle strength (MD 13.71 [5.41, 22.0] cmH2O, p = 0.001), it did not favor forced vital capacity.
Conclusions:
Telerehabilitation contributed to improving functional capacity, inspiratory muscle strength, physical fitness, and quality of life, and reducing dyspnea and fatigue in COVID-19 adult survivors.
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