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Telerehabilitation: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and future perspectives

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Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had an enormous effect on healthcare, notably rehabilitation for neurological, rheumatological, musculoskeletal, and cognitive diseases. Telerehabilitation provides rehabilitation services via multiple modalities, such as real-time chats, computerized consultations, and distant evaluations, emphasizing assessment, diagnosis, and intervention. While the use of telerehabilitation had restrictions before COVID-19, regulatory changes have accelerated its adoption, broadening therapy provision beyond traditional healthcare settings. Telerehabilitation has been examined for its effectiveness in a variety of health concerns, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and rheumatic diseases. Despite the constraints of the COVID-19 environment, telerehabilitation settings, which include patient and therapist aspects, have emerged to ensure optimal treatment delivery. Key themes include home-based rehabilitation initiatives, wearable gadgets, and the integration of analytics and artificial intelligence. The growing acceptance of telehealth and telerehabilitation is expected to drive further progress in this discipline.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Health Sciences, Adana City Research and Training Hospital, Adana, Turkey

    Burhan Fatih Kocyigit

  2. Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, Neurosurgery and Rehabilitation, South Kazakhstan Medical Academy, Shymkent, Kazakhstan

    Meirgul I. Assylbek

  3. Department of Social Health Insurance and Public Health, South Kazakhstan Medical Academy, Shymkent, Kazakhstan

    Meirgul I. Assylbek

  4. Medical Center ‘’Mediker’’, Shymkent, Kazakhstan

    Meirgul I. Assylbek

  5. Department of Biology and Biochemistry, South Kazakhstan Medical Academy, Shymkent, Kazakhstan

    Marlen Yessirkepov

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  1. Burhan Fatih Kocyigit
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  2. Meirgul I. Assylbek
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  3. Marlen Yessirkepov
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Contributions

Conceptualization: KBF, AMI, YM. Data acquisition and review of the literature: KBF, AMI, YM. Interpretations: KBF, AMI, YM. Writing—review and editing: KBF, AMI, YM. Final approval: KBF, AMI, YM.

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Correspondence to Burhan Fatih Kocyigit.

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Kocyigit, B.F., Assylbek, M.I. & Yessirkepov, M. Telerehabilitation: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and future perspectives. Rheumatol Int 44, 577–582 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-024-05537-0

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