The five keys for a successful implementation of a cardiac telerehabilitation: a step-by-step effective digitalization of rehabilitation health services in Egypt

Abstract

Background

Telerehabilitation enables patients to communicate with physicians through the Internet and may be utilized to evaluate patients’ conditions and offer treatment plans. This method became necessary as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its influence on face-to-face rehabilitation choices. Many rehabilitation professionals throughout the world have turned to the ‘online’ approach, relying on smartphone and smartwatch services such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and various mobile applications that comply with the ESC requirements.

Main body

Throughout this editorial, we examine the function of cardiac telerehabilitation in light of the journalistic ‘5 W,’ taking into consideration the rising interest in this topic during the ‘COVID era.’

Conclusions

Telerehabilitation is the future of rehabilitation, particularly in the COVID age. Additionally, telerehabilitation has proved to be successful in the cardiac profession when compared to face-to-face treatments, implying that this type of rehabilitation may continue after the world is COVID-free, and forecasting that it would be the preferable choice in the future.

Highlights

Cardiac telerehabilitation might promote the patient’s functional recovery in a safe manner, as there is no direct contact between the clinician and the patient.

Cardiac telerehabilitation may improve social functioning and psychological well-being by avoiding isolation.

The diffusion of technologies as an effective therapeutic alternative approach during the pandemic will be possible in the near future if the factors that facilitate human–technology interaction will be identified and well defined.

The intervention must be designed according to the user’s needs, in order to encourage acceptance of the innovative and highly technological healthcare program.

It is important to actively train healthcare professionals, face concerns about the remote treatment modality, and engage them to facilitate a more effective planning intervention.