[Telerehabilitación: evolución de la capacidad funcional, calidad de vida y salud mental en pacientes con covid-19 tras un programa de rehabilitación respiratoria.]

Objective: The healthcare approach to rehabilitation has undergone important changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the study was to assess the role of a home respiratory telerehabilitation program based on exercises and education in patients admitted to COVID-19.

Methods: An observational cohort study of COVID-19 patients admitted to General Hospital La Mancha Centro from March to June 2020 was carried out, who were assessed and treated by the rehabilitation, physiotherapy and occupational therapy service. After hospital discharge, the functional capacity, quality of life, mental health and happiness of the patients were assessed by telephone consultation at two, fifteen and thirty days. A descriptive analysis was carried out and for follow-up the McNemar test was used for qualitative variables and Student's t or Wilcoxon paired samples test for quantitative variables.

Results: Thirty patients were included in the study. The mean age was 60.9 years, with 50% male and 50% female. 80% of the patients were admitted to the ICU, with a mean of thirty four days. 73.3% of the patients developed ICU-acquired weakness. There are statistically significant changes in functional capacity (Barthel from 57.5 to 90), quality of life (EQ-VAS from 60 to 70), mental health (MHI-5 from 23 to 27) and happiness (Lyubomirsky from 4 to 4.5) of patients at thirty days after discharge.

Conclusions: Patients admitted for COVID-19 and included in the home respiratory rehabilitation program through telerehabilitation significantly improve their functional capacity, quality of life, mental health, and happiness during follow-up.