Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation: Perception and Experience of Austrian Physiotherapists and Physiotherapy Students.

Barbara Scheiber,Claudia Wiederin,Erika Schifferegger,Claudia Spiegl,Natalia Schiefermeier-Mach

doi:10.3390/ijerph18168730

Abstract

The rehabilitation needs of COVID-19 survivors are increasingly recognized, with a focus on combating respiratory and neuromuscular dysfunctions. The aim here was to explore the perception of Austrian physiotherapists and physiotherapy students on post-COVID-19 rehabilitation care and to identify barriers for the application of sufficient rehabilitation. We analysed current knowledge and practical skills in respiratory physiotherapy, performing a cross-sectional national survey among physiotherapists working in outpatient settings and physiotherapy students in their last academic year of bachelor-level education in Austria. Out of 255 survey participants, one-third already had inquiries to treat post-COVID-19 patients, and the majority of respondents expected a further increased inflow of patients with rehabilitation needs (64.2%). Only 11.2% of respondents reported feeling sufficiently informed about post-COVID-19 rehabilitation. A total of 68.2% of students and up to 48.1% of physiotherapists favoured a COVID-19-specific adaptation already in the basic academic education, and 74.1% of survey participants indicated interest in attending specific training. Concerning respiratory physiotherapy, our data showed discrepancies between the estimation of the importance of specific examination and treatment techniques and the level of current experience. There is a clear lack of experience in implementing effective device-based respiratory therapy. Our data indicate an urgent need to develop new education and training programs with a focus on the interdisciplinary rehabilitation of patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Highlights

An ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the SARSCoV-2 virus strongly affects all levels of the health care system
A cross-sectional national survey among physiotherapists working in outpatient settings and among physiotherapy students was conducted in Austria between December
Taking into account the willingness to participate in COVID-19-specific education that we found in our study, a prompt offering of advanced training would provide an efficient way of addressing post-COVID-19 rehabilitation needs

Summary

Introduction

An ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the SARSCoV-2 virus strongly affects all levels of the health care system. This highly infectious respiratory disease has yet infected more than 199 million people worldwide and has already resulted in 4.2 million deaths [1]. COVID-19 is a multi-organ disease with a broad spectrum of acute, subacute and long-term manifestations [4]. Symptoms of acute COVID-19 infection include cough, fever, fatigue, pneumonia and dyspnoea [5]. Severe respiratory symptoms may lead to a lifethreatening respiratory failure (ARDS; acute respiratory distress syndrome), resulting in the urgent need for invasive ventilation at an intensive care unit (ICU) [6]. Patients remain bedridden in a prone position for extended periods, which can cause post-ICU

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