Inpatient post-COVID-19 rehabilitation program featuring virtual reality—Preliminary results of randomized controlled trial
BackgroundNumerous recommendations from pulmonary scientific societies indicate the need to implement rehabilitation programs for patients after COVID-19. The aim of this study was to propose an innovative comprehensive intervention based on a hospital-based pulmonary rehabilitation program for indi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1121554/full |
| _version_ | 1811170966933340160 |
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| author | Sebastian Rutkowski Katarzyna Bogacz Katarzyna Bogacz Anna Rutkowska Jan Szczegielniak Jan Szczegielniak Richard Casaburi |
| author_facet | Sebastian Rutkowski Katarzyna Bogacz Katarzyna Bogacz Anna Rutkowska Jan Szczegielniak Jan Szczegielniak Richard Casaburi |
| author_sort | Sebastian Rutkowski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundNumerous recommendations from pulmonary scientific societies indicate the need to implement rehabilitation programs for patients after COVID-19. The aim of this study was to propose an innovative comprehensive intervention based on a hospital-based pulmonary rehabilitation program for individuals with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.MethodsIt was decided to evaluate two forms of hospital rehabilitation: traditional and one provided through virtual reality. Preliminary results are based on a group of 32 patients (20 female and 12 male), of average age 57.8 (4.92) years in the period of 3–6 months after the initial infection. Primary outcomes included analysis of lung function, exercise performance and stress level. A 3-week, high-intensity, five-times per week pulmonary rehabilitation program was designed to compare the effectiveness of a traditional form with a VR-led, novel form of therapy.ResultsThe analysis of the results showed a statistically significant improvement in both groups with regard to exercise performance expressed as 6MWT distance. Moreover, a statistically significant decrease in dyspnoea levels following the 6MWT was also noted in intergroup comparison, but the between-group comparison revealed non-statistically significant changes with low effect size. Regarding lung function, the analysis showed essentially normal lung function at baseline and a non-statistically significant improvement after the completion of the rehabilitation program. The analysis of the stress level showed a statistically significant improvement in both groups within the inter-group comparison, yet the between-group comparison of deltas values showed a non-significant difference with low effect size.ConclusionA 3-weeks inpatients pulmonary rehabilitation program led to improvement of the exercise performance of people with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, but not lung function. Furthermore, the program was shown to reduce patients' stress levels. A comparison of the traditional form of rehabilitation to the novel form using VR, shows similar effectiveness in terms of exercise performance and stress levels. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:05:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c882d776919348d0bb3acf54f9de27b8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:05:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-c882d776919348d0bb3acf54f9de27b82023-02-06T05:39:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-02-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.11215541121554Inpatient post-COVID-19 rehabilitation program featuring virtual reality—Preliminary results of randomized controlled trialSebastian Rutkowski0Katarzyna Bogacz1Katarzyna Bogacz2Anna Rutkowska3Jan Szczegielniak4Jan Szczegielniak5Richard Casaburi6Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Opole University of Technology, Opole, PolandFaculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Opole University of Technology, Opole, PolandSpecialist Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration in Głuchołazy, Głuchołazy, PolandFaculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Opole University of Technology, Opole, PolandFaculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Opole University of Technology, Opole, PolandSpecialist Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration in Głuchołazy, Głuchołazy, PolandRehabilitation Clinical Trials Center, Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United StatesBackgroundNumerous recommendations from pulmonary scientific societies indicate the need to implement rehabilitation programs for patients after COVID-19. The aim of this study was to propose an innovative comprehensive intervention based on a hospital-based pulmonary rehabilitation program for individuals with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.MethodsIt was decided to evaluate two forms of hospital rehabilitation: traditional and one provided through virtual reality. Preliminary results are based on a group of 32 patients (20 female and 12 male), of average age 57.8 (4.92) years in the period of 3–6 months after the initial infection. Primary outcomes included analysis of lung function, exercise performance and stress level. A 3-week, high-intensity, five-times per week pulmonary rehabilitation program was designed to compare the effectiveness of a traditional form with a VR-led, novel form of therapy.ResultsThe analysis of the results showed a statistically significant improvement in both groups with regard to exercise performance expressed as 6MWT distance. Moreover, a statistically significant decrease in dyspnoea levels following the 6MWT was also noted in intergroup comparison, but the between-group comparison revealed non-statistically significant changes with low effect size. Regarding lung function, the analysis showed essentially normal lung function at baseline and a non-statistically significant improvement after the completion of the rehabilitation program. The analysis of the stress level showed a statistically significant improvement in both groups within the inter-group comparison, yet the between-group comparison of deltas values showed a non-significant difference with low effect size.ConclusionA 3-weeks inpatients pulmonary rehabilitation program led to improvement of the exercise performance of people with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, but not lung function. Furthermore, the program was shown to reduce patients' stress levels. A comparison of the traditional form of rehabilitation to the novel form using VR, shows similar effectiveness in terms of exercise performance and stress levels.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1121554/fullCOVID-19pulmonary rehabilitationpost-COVID-19virtual rehabilitationvirtual realitypost-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) |
| spellingShingle | Sebastian Rutkowski Katarzyna Bogacz Katarzyna Bogacz Anna Rutkowska Jan Szczegielniak Jan Szczegielniak Richard Casaburi Inpatient post-COVID-19 rehabilitation program featuring virtual reality—Preliminary results of randomized controlled trial Frontiers in Public Health COVID-19 pulmonary rehabilitation post-COVID-19 virtual rehabilitation virtual reality post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) |
| title | Inpatient post-COVID-19 rehabilitation program featuring virtual reality—Preliminary results of randomized controlled trial |
| title_full | Inpatient post-COVID-19 rehabilitation program featuring virtual reality—Preliminary results of randomized controlled trial |
| title_fullStr | Inpatient post-COVID-19 rehabilitation program featuring virtual reality—Preliminary results of randomized controlled trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inpatient post-COVID-19 rehabilitation program featuring virtual reality—Preliminary results of randomized controlled trial |
| title_short | Inpatient post-COVID-19 rehabilitation program featuring virtual reality—Preliminary results of randomized controlled trial |
| title_sort | inpatient post covid 19 rehabilitation program featuring virtual reality preliminary results of randomized controlled trial |
| topic | COVID-19 pulmonary rehabilitation post-COVID-19 virtual rehabilitation virtual reality post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1121554/full |
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