Table 3.
Characteristics of the exploratory studies (feasibility and pilot studies) included in the review.
| Author, Year, Country | Method. Quality | Population (Mean Age, Pathology) | Intervention (Type, Sessions, Length, Frequency, Total Duration) | Comparison | Delivery Methods | Main Outcomes | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowe et al. (2021) UK [38] |
CONSORT Checklist 17/25 | 21 patients with MS (18+) | LEAP-MS Online Intervention (3 months) delivered via Zoom calls and a web-based online physical activity tool | (No comparison) | Mixed | Fatigue (MFIS) impact of MS(MSIS-29), HRQOL (EQ-5D-5 L), impact of ill health on participation and activities (OxPAQ), self-efficacy (UW-SES-SF), impression of change (PGIC) | This feasibility study allowed meeting the needs of people with MS during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| Martin et al. (2021) Belgium [39] |
CONSORT Checklist 17/25 |
27 patients with COVID-19 (61.5 ± 10.5) |
n = 14 telerehabilitation via videoconference; 50 min sessions 3×/week for 6 weeks (30 min endurance exercises, 20 min strengthening exercises); Borg Scale: 6 |
n = 13 No intervention (patients who refused the telerehabilitation intervention) |
Synchronous | Functional exercise capacity (1 min STST), SpO2 at rest | At 3 months follow-up, improvements were significantly and clinically greater in the telerehabilitation group (p = 0.005). The feasibility and effectiveness of a simple telerehabilitation program were verified. |
| Nakayama et al. (2020) Japan [40] |
CONSORT Checklist 16/25 | 236 patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) (59) | n = 30 remote cardiac rehabilitation (CR) |
n = 69 outpatient CR n = 137 non-CR |
Mixed | HRQL (EQ5D) 30 days after discharge; Number of emergency readmissions (%) | Emergency readmission rate within 30 days of discharge was lower in the remote CR group than in the non-CR group (n = 137) (p = 0.02). HRQL score was higher in the remote CR group than in the outpatient CR group (p = 0.03) 30 days after discharge. The remote CR program can be a good alternative to outpatient CR. |
| Tanguay et al. (2021) Canada [41] |
CONSORT Checklist 15/25 | Seven COVID-19 patients (49–80) | Physiotherapist- led telerehabilitation intervention delivering a pulmonary telerehabilitation program (2×/week for 8 weeks) | (No comparison) | Mixed | Severity of pulmonary symptoms (CAT), HRQL (EQ-5D-5L, EQ-VAS) | All participants increased their quality-of-life scores by at least 10 points. Eight weeks of telerehabilitation seem to improve symptoms, quality of life and return to physical activities in COVID-19 patients. |