Feasibility and Benefits of Digital Services During the COVID19 Pandemic

Plain-language summary

As a result of the pandemic, hygiene and distancing rules must be followed in Health care/ rehabilitation clinics to ensure the safety of patients and staff. This has led to extensive changes in the therapy processes, including a reduction in group sizes and maintaining distances within the groups, resulting in a reduction in the range of therapies available to individuals, since the number of employees remains unchanged and cannot be increased at will and in the short term due to the lack of qualified staff. In order for the treatment/rehabilitation goals to be achieved nonetheless, new forms of implementation of therapy programs must be developed in addition to organizational adjustments. Digitalization can be a significant support in this respect. The majority of patients in psychosomatic rehabilitation possess smartphones, meaning that the necessary infrastructure for the utilization of digital offers is available and can be used to the greatest possible extent. The use of digital measures within the therapeutic services supports the independence of the patients, as they can use the digital offers independently and flexibly in their own time. How should Health care/rehabilitation services be designed in light of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and which services have the potential to buffer future crises: What general recommendations can be derived for the design of such services for routine care? What are support measures to encourage social participation and return to work?

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