Impact of an Interdisciplinary Team and Traditional Therapy on Functional Recovery of Patients With Covid-19 in Inpatient Rehabilitation

Abstract

This is a retrospective study that evaluated the medical charts of prior patients who were admitted to a hospital with the coronavirus, to trace changes in their function-based capabilities after receiving inpatient rehabilitation. Data related to demographics and comorbidities as well as self-care and functional mobility capabilities were reviewed at admission and discharge. Under the care of an interdisciplinary team and traditional therapy, patients with Covid-19 in this study demonstrated positive recoveries. The results suggested the effectiveness of having an interdisciplinary model and the potential influence of demographics and comorbidities on recovery from the Covid-19 virus.

Keywords:

• Coronavirus
• covid-19
• inpatient rehabilitation
• occupational therapy
• physical therapy

Disclosure Statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Nicolas Harrington

Nicolas Harrington, OTD, OTR/L is an occupational therapist whose focus is inpatient rehabilitation. He graduated from University of Florida with his MOT, followed by his OTD from University of St. Augustine and currently works at Brooks Rehabilitation as a clinician and teaches at University St. Augustine.

Arryn Hablitzel

Arryn Hablitzel, MOT, OT/L is a senior occupational therapist at Brooks Rehabilitations inpatient rehabilitation hospital—Bartram Campus in Jacksonville, Florida. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Huntingdon College and a master’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her primary clinical interests include working with clients post organ transplant, cardiac and neurological impairments.

Seyed Alireza Derakhshanrad

Seyed Alireza Derakhshanrad, PhD, OT is an Associate Professor working at Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

Emily Piven

Emily Piven, OTD, MHE, OT/L is a former Associate Professor with 19 years of experience in education at University of Texas at El Paso and University of St. Augustine Health Sciences. Specialties: complementary medicine, early intervention/school age/autism/intellectual disabilities/gerontology/health disparities/public health/home health/consultation.