Remote Rehabilitation
Donatella Tomaiuoli, Alessandra Silvana Giannantoni, Giorgia Picchiotti, Chiara Pirisi, Francesca Del Gado, Eleonora Pasqua, Christian Veronesi
On the 11th March 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO), deeply concerned by the alarming levels of the spread and severity of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 infection, made the assessment that the SARS-CoV2 disease (COVID-19) could be characterized as a pandemic, recommending essential public health measures, aimed at containing the spread of the infection. In light of this situation, considering the continuing health emergency and subsequent restrictive measures, the scientific establishment has provided recommendations encouraging alternative treatment methods to support patients and families, which are consistent with the need to limit the spread of COVID-19. The appropriateness of implementing tele-health practice in the current state of health emergency has prevented a lengthy interruption of rehabilitation programmes, ensuring continuing care to patients and families, which is needed to handle complex clinical conditions with high developmental risk. In the first phase of lockdown due to COVID-19 the CRC – Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Centre for Research and Care – in Rome immediately redefined on-going treatment programmes in a functional and safe form, using tele-health, in line with Public Health recommendations. Our study explains how the CRC has been dealing with this period of emergency, reformulating treatment plans with regard to devices, instruments and intervention models.
Keywords
Remote rehabilitation, Childhood and neurodevelopmental disorders, Redefinition, Multidisciplinary team, Tele-health.