Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of a Group-based Telerehabilitation Program in People With Post-COVID-19 Sequelae (TEPCO).

NCT ID: NCT06952127

Last Updated: 2025-04-30

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 22 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-04-07
• Study Completion Date: 2024-03-29

Brief Summary

The goal of this study pilot randomized controlled study is to evaluate the feasibility of the study procedures and to compare the preliminary efficacy of a rehabilitation program given in a "remote" (telerehabilitation) or "face-to-face" model for adult patients who had confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and still have symptoms after eight weeks of infection. The main question it aims to answer is:

• Are the study procedures feasible?
• Will the two groups have similar results for the preliminary efficacy outcomes?

Researchers will compare group telerehabilitation to a face-to-face group to see if it's comparable.

Participants will:

• Take part in a 60-minute training session, 3 times a week in person or remotely
• Visit the clinic before starting the training program and after 8 weeks of training
• Keep a diary of their symptoms, if any

Conditions

Long COVID-19 Syndrome; Long COVID; Long COVID Syndrome

Keywords

telerehabilitation

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Telerehabilitation group

Rehabilitation program including cardiovascular, muscular and balance training and, if necessary, respiratory physiotherapy using the Teams platform supervised by a certified kinesiologist. The rehabilitation will be conducted 3 times a week for 8 weeks in group of 5 or 6 persons.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Rehabilitation program

Intervention Type: OTHER

• 5-minute warm-up including easy global exercises
• 5 resistance training exercises targeting upper and lower muscle groups
• 30 secondes break between sets
• Cooldown with breathing and stretching exercises

Face-to-face group

Rehabilitation program including cardiovascular, muscular and balance training and, if necessary, respiratory physiotherapy at the university kinesiology clinic supervised by a certified kinesiologist. The rehabilitation will be conducted 3 times a week for 8 weeks in group of 5 or 6 persons.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Rehabilitation program

Intervention Type: OTHER

• 5-minute warm-up including easy global exercises
• 5 resistance training exercises targeting upper and lower muscle groups
• 30 secondes break between sets
• Cooldown with breathing and stretching exercises

Interventions

Rehabilitation program

• 5-minute warm-up including easy global exercises
• 5 resistance training exercises targeting upper and lower muscle groups
• 30 secondes break between sets
• Cooldown with breathing and stretching exercises

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• adult patients (≥18 years)
• confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection defined by positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and/or antigen test results
• referred to the pneumology clinic for a modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea score of 2-3 after a minimum of eight weeks of infection
• VO₂max of less than 80% of the predicted value
• receiving a medical prescription for rehabilitation following initial assessment by a pulmonologist
• being able to walk independently
• providing informed consent
• having a good internet connection (i.e., a minimum download speed of 4 Mbps and an upload speed of 4 Mbps)
• being in possession of a computer or tablet equipped with a camera enabling videoconferencing.

Exclusion Criteria

• requiring in-hospital rehabilitation at discharge
• evidence of medical instability (i.e., moderate or severe cardiac disease, ischemic or severe hemorrhagic stroke, or neurodegenerative disease, unstable fracture)
• history of severe cognitive or mental impairment
• already enrolled in another rehabilitation program

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Marie-Claude Lehoux

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Centre hospitalier affilié universitaire régional

Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada

Countries

Canada

Other Identifiers

889

Identifier Type: REGISTRY

Identifier Source: secondary_id

2023-667

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id