Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of a Group-based Telerehabilitation Program in People With Post-COVID-19 Sequelae (TEPCO).

Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec

Status: Completed

Conditions: Long COVID Syndrome; Long COVID; Long COVID-19 Syndrome

Treatments: Other: Rehabilitation program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06952127

889 (Registry Identifier)

2023-667

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this study pilot randomized controlled study is to evaluate the feasibility of the study procedures and to compare the preliminary efficacy of a rehabilitation program given in a "remote" (telerehabilitation) or "face-to-face" model for adult patients who had confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and still have symptoms after eight weeks of infection. The main question it aims to answer is:

• Are the study procedures feasible?
• Will the two groups have similar results for the preliminary efficacy outcomes?

Researchers will compare group telerehabilitation to a face-to-face group to see if it's comparable.

Participants will:

• Take part in a 60-minute training session, 3 times a week in person or remotely
• Visit the clinic before starting the training program and after 8 weeks of training
• Keep a diary of their symptoms, if any

Enrollment: 22 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• adult patients (≥18 years)
• confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection defined by positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and/or antigen test results
• referred to the pneumology clinic for a modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea score of 2-3 after a minimum of eight weeks of infection
• VO₂max of less than 80% of the predicted value
• receiving a medical prescription for rehabilitation following initial assessment by a pulmonologist
• being able to walk independently
• providing informed consent
• having a good internet connection (i.e., a minimum download speed of 4 Mbps and an upload speed of 4 Mbps)
• being in possession of a computer or tablet equipped with a camera enabling videoconferencing.

Exclusion criteria

• requiring in-hospital rehabilitation at discharge
• evidence of medical instability (i.e., moderate or severe cardiac disease, ischemic or severe hemorrhagic stroke, or neurodegenerative disease, unstable fracture)
• history of severe cognitive or mental impairment
• already enrolled in another rehabilitation program

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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22 participants in 2 patient groups

Telerehabilitation group

Experimental group

Description:

Rehabilitation program including cardiovascular, muscular and balance training and, if necessary, respiratory physiotherapy using the Teams platform supervised by a certified kinesiologist. The rehabilitation will be conducted 3 times a week for 8 weeks in group of 5 or 6 persons.

Treatment:

Other: Rehabilitation program

Face-to-face group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Rehabilitation program including cardiovascular, muscular and balance training and, if necessary, respiratory physiotherapy at the university kinesiology clinic supervised by a certified kinesiologist. The rehabilitation will be conducted 3 times a week for 8 weeks in group of 5 or 6 persons.

Treatment:

Other: Rehabilitation program