Interactive platform for remote rehabilitation of patients with various complications after COVID-19

COVID REHAB cloud platform is a service for conducting online group classes for patients with complications after COVID-19 disease.

The platform was created by the team of iPat LLC in conjunction with the National Medical Research Center for Rehabilitation and Balneology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (NMRC RB).

The platform is based on temporary guidelines developed by NMRC RB. The purpose of rehabilitation is to recover quickly and minimize the risk of complications at the outpatient stage of treatment after discharge from the hospital and to prevent repeated unplanned hospitalizations. The platform’s quick launch is due to successful joint experience in remote rehabilitation of cancer patients on the OncoRehab cloud platform (https://oncorehab.online).

Patients who have had COVID-19 with moderate and severe course, often get complications like cough, shortness of breath with little physical activity, hypo- or atrophy of the muscles, functional and psychological problems, digestive system disorders and others. Online classes conducted by unique specialists on the COVID REHAB platform will help increase the effectiveness of the recovery period during self-isolation, as well as provide access to rehabilitation for patients living in remote areas or unable to undergo full-time rehabilitation.

The COVID REHAB platform allows the doctor, having remotely analyzed medical documents, to identify the patient in one of the rehabilitation groups of patients, united by common problems. Further, professional instructors-rehabilitologists remotely carry out group programs of physiotherapy exercises, group and individual psychotherapeutic sessions, art- and occupational therapy sessions to correct neurological and mental disorders.

Making a daily questionnaire, doctors conduct individual control of adherence to treatment, the effectiveness and safety of classes in the process of rehabilitation. It also allows to remotely observe the dynamics or record complications that arise in the post-hospital period.

The platform technically allows to conduct online not only individual and group classes, but also distance schools of patient mutual assistance (up to 100 people at a time), enabling online communication between a high-class expert doctor conducting a patient school from a medical organization and patients who are not having the opportunity to come to full-time patient schools, but wishing to ask an expert a question about their condition online.

Online classes for patients are conducted strictly by filling out test questionnaires under the supervision of a doctor and include:

  • performing breathing exercises and aerobic exercises;
  • strength training of varying intensity;
  • training of drainage breathing equipment: in patients with increased sputum formation;
  • neuropsychological training: counseling, psychological support and cognitive training;
  • video lectures with recommendations on nutrition, restoration of intestinal microflora and non-drug methods of recovery after COVID-19.

For classes, patients only need:

  • device with a microphone and a camera: mobile phone, tablet or computer;
  • Internet connection and e-mail on this device.

Recruitment in groups is carried out by preliminary questionnaire. The doctor examines the data of the patient profiles (age, state of health, types of complications, and a number of other important criteria) and determines their physical and emotional state, then completes them into groups. The optimal composition of the group in terms of patient control is 15-30 people. If necessary, the system allows classes in a group of up to 100 participants.

The administrator can not only control the class schedule, actively participate in the formation of groups, appoint doctors and lecturers, but also monitor rehabilitation performance indicators both for the whole group and for each patient personally. Flexible settings and high-quality conferences will allow to rehabilitate comfortably patients who have had COVID-19 from anywhere in the world.

On May 15, NMRC RB announced the launch of the service and the beginning of recruitment of groups, and on May 18 the first group of 27 people was staffed and began classes on the cloud platform COVID REHAB with instructors of the NMRC RB.

The platform is registered as a computer program under the name «COVID REHAB. Remote rehabilitation service for patients who have undergone COVID-19», Certificate of state registration of the computer program No. 2020661187 from 09/18/2020.

The COVID REHAB platform is included in the Map of Innovative Solutions of the Moscow Innovation Agency.

COVID REHAB. The remote rehabilitation service for patients who have undergone COVID-19 is included in the Unified Register of Russian Programs for Electronic Computers and Databases, registry number 8966.

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