Abstract

CHANG, María De La P. et al. Telemedicine in secondary prevention and rehabilitation of stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic. Medicina (B. Aires) [online]. 2021, vol.81, n.3, pp.415-420. ISSN 0025-7680.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in limited access of post-stroke patients to their usual medical follow-up and rehabilitation. To continue these activities, we adopted a technology that is free and has universal access. We remotely followed 32 patients after discharge from the stroke unit during the mandatory lock-down. This allowed to continue with medical controls, physical therapy and speech pathology treatments. All patients fully complied with medical treatment and self-monitoring of vascular risk factors. Early discontinuation of rehabilitation therapies was identified and immediately compensated with tele-rehabilitation. All expressed their willingness to continue with this treatment modality. This strategy was successful to effectively continue medical follow-up and rehabilitation supervision with the collaboration of families, is an accessible and low-cost technology that could be replicated and used in health institutions that treat neurovascular diseases.

Keywords : Stroke; COVID-19; Telemedicine; Tele-rehabilitation; Secondary prevention.

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