'Fit Again After Corona': eHealth at CO-FIT+ rehabilitation program
28-04-2021
Rehabilitating after covid
The corona pandemic has created a new group of rehabilitation patients for whom intensive rehabilitation is crucial. The GRZPLUS CO-FIT+ program supports these rehabilitation patients and their loved ones to get life back on track after corona.
A group of elderly people who were in hospital because of COVID-19 received extra remote support for six months during their recovery. This support was provided by the research project eCOFIT+ of GRZPLUS (the partnership of Omring and De Zorgcircle), the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Centre of Expertise Urban Vitality) and HipperTherapeutics.
This consortium submitted a proposal for the project to the ZonMw program 'COVID-19 Science for Practice', which was honored with a grant.
The central research question was: 'What are the experiences of healthcare professionals and rehabilitators with the CO-FIT+ geriatric rehabilitation program and the use of eHealth?'
Objective data from sensors
The recovery of the elderly was closely monitored via wearable sensors. These generated objective data about their daily functioning and physical recovery. The patients could view the data themselves, as well as their care providers, so that they formed the basis for the conversation.
The system with wearable sensors, called Hipper, was previously developed from the Digital Life research group by Margriet Pol – senior researcher at the AUAS – and has already been successfully used by GRZPLUS in elderly people who are recovering after a hip fracture.
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The aim of the eCOFIT+ project was that healthcare providers could intervene more quickly when the patient encounters problems with his/her energy distribution, or experiences a lot of difficulty in daily functioning. Emotional issues are also common as people recover from COVID-19.
In addition, the elderly could make video calls with their caregivers. For example, the researchers wanted to keep a close eye on the patients, for whom rehabilitation and recovery were often unpredictable.
Results research project eCOFIT+
- The rehabilitators are satisfied with the CO-FIT+ rehabilitation offered.
- The rehabilitators experience going through and recovery from COVID-19 as a fierce period, which has had a major impact on their lives. In addition, the rehabilitators indicate that it was also a difficult period for their informal carers and that it is important to involve the informal carer in the rehabilitation.
- There is also a fear of reinfection, which means that rehabilitation locations are avoided in the outpatient setting, among other things.
- It is not or only partially clear to some rehabilitators why they wear or have worn the Hipper. Rehabilitators indicate that looking (regularly) at the Hipper data contributes to a better insight into activities and can have a stimulating or (positive) inhibiting effect on the performance of activities.
- Rehabilitators indicate that the Hipper does not measure all activities that are taxing, such as static activities such as unloading the dishwasher or cycling on an exercise bike. Almost all rehabilitators are open to the use of video calling.
More information can be found on the GRZPLUS website.
The entire research report (in Dutch) can also be requested by sending an e-mail to GRZPLUS.