Efectividad de la fisioterapia aplicada a través de la telerehabilitación durante el estado de excepción dispuesto en el ecuador por la emergencia sanitaria del sars- cov2 (covid 19)

Abstract

Introduction: Due to the global pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID 19), health centers and providers have been obligated to adopt alternative methods to provide treatment, in order to safeguard patients and professional´s health. In Physical Therapy, telerehabilitation has been the chosen method allowing permanent contact with the patient, while satisfying social distancing requirements, maintaining the recovery process. Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of Physical Therapy interventions applied through telerehabilitation to patients of the Physical Therapy Laboratory of the Universidad Técnica de Ambato during the state of exception disposed by the government because of the sanitary emergency of the SARS CoV-2. Methods: A non-experimental and retrospective study was conducted. Initially, clinical histories were classified according to age, sex, and diagnosis. To determine the effectiveness patients responded the SF-12 questionnaire before and after the interventions, as well as the pain VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE (VAS), whose statistical analysis was performed on SPSS software (t-test). Results: Out of the 38 participants, in 23.7% pain completely disappeared; SF-12 score also improve in at least 14 points (29.9 initial vs 43.7 final); while the t-test showed significant differences throwing a value of =0,000 being p=0.05; accepting the affirmative hypothesis. Conclusions: In general, all participants showed improvement in quality of life and pain, meaning that Physical Therapy applied through Telerehab is an effective alternative method in cases were physical contact must be avoided.