Telerehabilitation in Subjects With Respiratory Disease: A Scoping Review

Considering the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, telerehabilitation may be a viable first-line option for patients with respiratory tract disease. To date, there has been no systematic review on telerehabilitation for respiratory tract diseases, including COVID-19. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to determine what telerehabilitation for patients with respiratory tract diseases consists of, how safe telerehabilitation is for patients with respiratory tract diseases, and how feasible telerehabilitation is for hospitalized patients with COVID-19. In May 2020, we conducted a search of the following publication databases on the use of telerehabilitation in the treatment of respiratory tract diseases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Literature, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database. Of the 208 articles identified, 23 studies were subsequently included in this scoping review. In 22 of the included studies, subjects had stable COPD and underwent telerehabilitation at home. The final included study was a case series of subjects with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection who underwent telerehabilitation in-hospital. Most telerehabilitation programs consisted of aerobic exercises using a cycle ergometer or a treadmill, walking, and muscle-strengthening exercises. The reported number of adverse events was low, and most studies reported that the average session adherence rate was > 70%. The majority of the telerehabilitation programs included a face-to-face rehabilitation assessment. Our findings indicate that, in its current state, telerehabilitation may be safe and feasible and may lead to reduced face-to-face rehabilitation therapy; in addition, remote rehabilitation assessment should be considered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research that targets a more diverse range of respiratory tract diseases and considers telerehabilitation in a hospital setting is required.