Telerehabilitation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Introduction: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and degenerative motor disease of the nervous system. Symptoms are variable, the main one being muscle weakness. Treatment is based on medication and monitoring by a multidisciplinary team to maintain quality of life (QoL) and autonomy. There are barriers, like mobility, and telehealth (TH) can be a possibility of care. Objectives: To identify evidence of the use of TH in patients with ALS to improve symptoms and QoL. Design and settings: Study carried out at Centro Universitario São Camilo. Methodology: Literature review in the PubMed, Lilacs and PEDro, between 2011 and 2021, in Portuguese, English or Spanish, with “ALS”, “telemedicine”, “TH”. Results: Of the 14 studies found, 13 were selected after review. The majority (93%) made use of video and telephone calls for monitoring and new orientations, after face-to-face evaluation; but all showed the possibility of remote assessment, associated or no with technological resources (such apps, accelerometers, smartwatches). 31% of the studies reported indication of TH for respiratory care in critically ill patients. In general, 93% of the papers demonstrated that TH brought benefits in maintaining QoL and improving respiratory parameters. Conclusion: Use of TH in patients with ALS seems to be to viable, safe and beneficial for assessment and monitoring, especially in advanced stages and for respiratory symptoms.