Empowering Recovery: Knowledge, Attitude, and Experience among the Physiotherapy Fraternity for Long COVID Rehabilitation: A Cross-sectional Study
| Author | Amal Saeed Alshaali | en |
| Author | Ramprasad Muthukrishnan | en |
| Author | Watson Arulsingh D.R | en |
| Author | Nada Alnuaimi | en |
| Orcid | Amal Saeed Alshaali [0000-0002-8861-7165] | en |
| Orcid | Ramprasad Muthukrishnan [0000-0003-0839-5943] | en |
| Orcid | Watson Arulsingh D.R [0000-0003-4387-0818] | en |
| Orcid | Nada Alnuaimi [0000-0002-3385-6855] | en |
| Issued Date | 2024-10-31 | en |
| Abstract | Background: Physiotherapy plays a crucial role in the rehabilitation of long COVID. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of the physiotherapy community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) regarding the management of long-term COVID-19. Methods: Conducted as a cross-sectional study utilizing convenient sampling through an online survey, it involved physiotherapists and physiotherapy students throughout the United Arab Emirates, achieving a response rate of 434 (93.13%). Results: Fatigue (76%) and shortness of breath (56.2%) were the most commonly reported symptoms, with the Generic PROMIS (51.6%) and Post-COVID-19 Functional Status Scale (41.7%) being the most utilized outcome tools. Sixty-eight percent of participants felt confident in differentiating between COVID-19 complications and long COVID symptoms, whereas 18.7% were unsure, and 13% admitted difficulty in differentiation. The approaches reported for managing long COVID included graded exercise, symptom-titrated physical activity, and pacing exercise principles (63.21%, 37.79%, and 31.8%, respectively), alongside exercise capacity tests like the 1-minute sit-to-stand and 10MWT (71.9%) for screening and recommending physical activity. A significant majority (87.3%) expressed a desire for more information on long COVID rehabilitation, and 87.8% showed interest in specialized training. However, gaps were identified in screening and prescribing exercise or physical activity for long-term COVID-19 rehabilitation. Conclusions: There is a need for regular updates on long-term COVID science and education, emphasizing the spectrum of long-term COVID symptoms versus emerging complications, and skill training in advanced respiratory physiotherapy care or exercise training specifically for long-term COVID. This will aid in integrating recent clinical practice guidelines more effectively. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5812/mejrh-142260 | en |
| Keyword | COVID-19 | en |
| Keyword | Coronavirus Disease 2019 | en |
| Keyword | Long COVID | en |
| Keyword | Physiotherapist | en |
| Keyword | Cross-Sectional Survey | en |
| Keyword | Rehabilitation | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | Empowering Recovery: Knowledge, Attitude, and Experience among the Physiotherapy Fraternity for Long COVID Rehabilitation: A Cross-sectional Study | en |
| Type | Research Article | en |
Files
Original bundle
1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
- Name:
- mejrh-11-4-142260-publish-pdf.pdf
- Size:
- 334.43 KB
- Format:
- Adobe Portable Document Format
- Description:
- Article/s PDF