Table A1.

Most Highlighted Answers.

Interview Comments
Technical Aspects “Everything worked perfectly: I could check exercises when I wanted, I performed exercises with the physical therapist that called me… perfect. And I think that it is convenient and easy to be followed. They can call you if any doubts; I think it is good. I looked for them, (laughs) since they always called me at the same hour, I was looking for them.” “When the effort test was performed, the APP to count steps did not work; we could not continue this day.”
Communication “Sincerely, really good, since the first moment communication worked very well; the health system should go forward in this way.” “Fantastic. Displacement was not required, and this was especially important in a sick person. With video calls, everything was straightforward to be understood.” “I felt communication was adequate; I was confident since both therapists who contacted me were very nice.” “Although it was through video calls, the relationship with therapists was very close and direct.”
Exercise Planning “No trouble with exercises. Doubts were immediately solved.” “At first, I felt both in the respiratory and physical field that I was a bit limited. Later, I started becoming stronger, and I could perform exercises with less difficulty.” “At the beginning, it was like a triathlon. Later, the programme was bearable, and exercises were adapted according to my capacities.”
Aspects to Improve “Exercises that I performed were too easy and quiet. They were good for me, but I think that, depending on the grade of severity of COVID-19, exercises volume and intensity should be adapted.” “I would increase the duration of the programme since 15 days go very fast when you are in this situation.” “Measuring pulsations, instead of how you feel, could become a more objective value, improving the adaptation of exercises.” “Maybe the elderly, or other people who do not control new technologies, are at risk of exclusion in this kind of programmes.” “Sincerely, I don’t know how the programme could be improved. As I told you, I feel pleased about having participated in the study, can’t find anything to improve. I think that it has been very well prepared since the first movement, and execution, at least in my case, has been excellent.”
Perception of Clinical Benefit “Especially the respiratory aspect- excellent… I thought: well, my cough has increased, but I feel like I’m removing and cleaning what I have in there.” “Truthfully, I improved m respiratory capacity. I improved since I started doing the exercises because I was vexed…” “Truly, I felt my confidence increased, and yes, I’ve felt better. First days, I felt pain in my muscles, and it was tough for me, but later I improved, and I did not feel that way. And, of course, it has influenced my recovery.” “One of the most significant symptoms I had, I felt pain in my chest, and I felt charged. For me, it was challenging to go up and down in steps. When I was physically well prepared, I started to sweat the situation, and I felt exhausted. In that situation, performing the exercises undoubtedly helped me, also to understand that I did not have important sequelae, that I could go ahead, and it did not affect me very much.” “As I told you, the most important aspect for me was the psychological… Facing a challenge daily, being sure that exercises would help in my recovery and feel better, professionals were guiding me… I was sure that the day after, I was going to feel better. I trusted very much, and then, although I did not find a huge change in the physical aspect, I’m sure that in the psychological aspect, it helped me.” “I imagine that I had a clinical benefit, but I don’t know. I felt I had positive benefits in my physical reconditioning.”
Psychological Aspects “Well, isolation is not enjoyable. Being busy helped me to get over the process. If you are active, your mood improves.” “It has positively influenced me because I knew I had someone who took care of me, a professional with studies and knowledge, and I did not feel alone. It has been conducive for me; confinement implies loneliness, and if there is someone who calls you and your family, it is good, great.” “… Yes, sure, psychologically, it helps you because I knew that there was a professional who was there, who was paying attention to me and my situation.” “… it was like I was a bit calmer about the follow-up, about the fact that there were some people who are involved in my recovery and how they could help me to improve and get over the disease. Some days I felt alone, but I felt that actually, some people were there to take care of me.” “Well, look, it has been very beneficial regarding my mood. I felt with little energy, I felt weakness in my mood, and after performing the exercises, I felt better. This was the main benefit I felt.”
Motivation “… I was very unmotivated. I felt generalised weakness, not only back pain but like if I had low energy. Then, it has been beneficial for motivating me to perform exercises and, after doing exercises, I felt better, more encouraged.” “…it was like my daily sport because although it was not purely sport, I had not enough strength to do something hard. Therefore, I thought: come, I’m going to perform my respiratory exercises, and I finished my day.” “Yes, I saw like I was feeling better, and thus, I felt more motivated. Moreover, indeed, I still perform the exercises sometimes…” “Especially in the second or third session, I felt the improvement because the first day I was awful… I could not walk much time, I felt tired, and I could not perform exercises properly, and this situation overwhelmed me. Later, I started to perform exercises better, and I noticed that I was doing faster… Not only that, I felt better, but I was performing the exercises with fewer difficulties.” “Depending on the day, there were some days that I felt exhausted, and it was difficult to start, but talking to the therapist indeed gave me confidence and courage to perform exercises.” “Yes, some days I felt worse. I did not want to do exercises, but as I know I was going to be contacted to ask me how it had gone, this obligated me to perform the exercises.”
Level of Health Assistance “Well, the follow-up, attention, kindness of people who took care of me, and how they adapted to my circumstances… the attention was extraordinary.” “Attention has been perfect, and I felt safeguarded. I always had the faculty of asking them in case of any doubt. When I started the programme, I started feeling new things, weird feelings, and having their support in any moment was good.” “The direct attention, it is imperative that we had a telephone to consult. Health assistance is very deficient in this situation, and this programme offered us new possibilities.” “I had feared to die daily, and they told you that they are going to call you, but… they don’t call you. However, with this programme, I had the security that they were going to contact me. I was pleased about that.”
Applicability to the public health system “I think that it should arrive. Not only for patients with COVID-19, but also when COVID-19 disappears, these programmes should stay and they should be developed because, with a good explanation and two video calls, it is sufficient.” “It is weird that it does not exist. I do not understand why it is not implemented frequently.” “I understand that this is new, that it is not still implemented, but is important and necessary for some patients that could have complications with the facility.” “Not only now because of COVID-19, but generally, it should be adopted in the management of patients with mobility problems, difficulties in moving around, people with respiratory issues, in-bed patients… I think it is crucial. Besides, it is not simply a conversation, but it has an objective, a daily programme with a specific aim.” “It could be feasible if there were more physiotherapists and they could spend more time with patients.” “I think it is not feasible, and it would be complicated. I would like not to say that, but it is complicated. Taking into account that right now is a delicate situation of uncertainty.” “I don’t think that the public health system could assume the costs currently. With cuts that the health system is suffering, it would be advisable, but I don’t know if it could be implemented. The public health system does not work well, and I don’t think it would be feasible.”