A Scoping Review of Digital Interventions that Treat Post-/Long-COVID 2023 Rinn et al

Background:

Patients with Post-/Long-COVID need support, and health care professionals require clear evidence for their work with patients. Digital interventions can meet these requirements, especially if personal contact is limited.

Objective:

We answered the question of what the current evidence of digital interventions for patients with Post-/Long-COVID regarding physical- and mental health or mental well-being is.

Methods:

Scoping review in which original studies were summarized that examined the online treatment Post-/Long-COVID patients with the use of digital interventions. Following the PICO scheme, original studies were summarized in which patients with Post-/Long-COVID symptoms used digital interventions that aimed to help them to recover.

Results:

k = 8 original studies matching the inclusion criteria. Three were “pre-test” studies. Three describe the implementation of a telerehabilitation program, one is a Post-/Long-COVID program, and one study describes the results of qualitative interviews with patients who used an online peer support group. It was found that digital interventions can help patients with Post-/Long-COVID improve physiological health such as fatigue, breathlessness, and to sustain usual activities. However, in patients who were treated in the intensive care unit or had symptoms such as worsening short-term memory, and unpleasant dreams effects are less likely. Digital interventions can provide individualized monitoring and tailoring that meet the requirements of different patients and individual changes over time which is particularly important to overcome fatigue. Mental health (e.g., depression) was improved by digital intervention in most of the previous studies.

Conclusions:

More systematic research with larger sample sizes is required to overcome sampling bias and include the health care professionals’ perspective as well as help patients mobilize support by health care professionals and social network partners. The evidence so far suggests that patients should be provided with digital interventions to overcome their symptoms and reintegrate into everyday life, including work.

Open access, https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/45711/accepted