Telerreabilitação para indivíduos com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica no Brasil: um estudo de viabilidade

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Telerehabilitation can favor the provision of care to patients in their own homes and in health centers located remotely. Despite preliminary international evidence demonstrating that pulmonary telerehabilitation strategies have positive effects in patients with chronic respiratory diseases, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), no study demonstrating its feasibility in Brazil has been carried out. AIMS: The aims of this study were to evaluate the feasibility of pulmonary telerehabilitation in patients with COPD in terms of acceptance, implementation, practicality and adaptation for the Brazilian population. METHODS: This is an observational, cross-sectional, feasibility study with quantitative and qualitative methods performed with clinically stable participants diagnosed with COPD. Data on lung function, dyspnea, disease repercussions, economic status and physical activity level were obtained. A simulated telerehabilitation session was carried out in a laboratory environment. After the simulated session, questionnaires were applied to assess aspects of feasibility and a semi-structured qualitative interview. RESULTS: Thirty-one participants were included in the study (age: 62±10 years, FEV1predicted=72.2±14.1, women=19 (61.2%). simulated telerehabilitation. Of these, twenty-three participants (74.2%) obtained scores above sixty-eight on the System Usability Scale (SUS). The respective questionnaires had values greater than 4 points (1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree) for most statements. The content analysis for the adaptation aspect showed a total of 9 domains related to use in the home environment, including telerehabilitation system and improved comfort while performing the task on the cycle ergometer. Most participants (n = 26, 84%) were satisfied and did not suggest adaptations of the pulmonary telerehabilitation system for use in their d home. Better acceptability of the pulmonary telerehabilitation system on the SUS scale was associated with younger age (r=-0.57, p=0.001), lower clinical repercussion of the disease (r=-0.38, p=0.04) and higher education (r=0.50, p=0.005). No significant relationships were identified between acceptability and the other variables. CONCLUSIONS: The telerehabilitation system used has adequate acceptability, practicality, can be implemented and adapted for patient use in a home environment. Younger age, lower COPD impact, and higher educational level are associated with greater acceptability of pulmonary telerehabilitation in individuals with COPD. These findings suggest that telerehabilitation for COPD patients residing in Brazil is feasible.