Online ISSN: 2577-5669

Impact of COVID-19 on the Delivery of Physical Therapy Services for Children with Disabilities in Saudi Arabia

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Shamekh Mohamed El-Shamy*, Mohammed Saeed Alghamdi , Samaher Ali Alsaaidi , Hifaa Ahmed Zamzamy , Israa Mohammed Khayat , Aeshah Mohammed Wazirah , Raghad Thamer Alqthami , Thikra Mustafa Albrnawi , Murooj Fahad Alharthi , Noran Mohammed Alnahas, Asayel Khalid Alsulami
ยป doi: 10.5455/jcmr.2023.14.04.05

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 is a global pandemic. In Saudi Arabia a nationwide lockdown from April to June 2020 was imposed, with several cities experiencing 24-hour lockdowns. Due to the fear of spreading the virus, rehabilitation programs, including pediatric physical therapy, have been cancelled, postponed, or rescheduled. Purpose: to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of physical therapy services for children with disabilities. Methods: In this five-part cross-sectional study, 80 participants completed a questionnaire about the effect of COVID-19 on the delivery of physical therapy services for their children. Results: The results revealed that 33 (41.3%) of the 80 caregivers and their children who participated in the survey discontinued to physical therapy. The remaining 47 (58.8%) continued to receive physical therapy as follows: 28 (35%) continued through home-based physical therapy program, 11 (13.8%) continued through telerehabilitation services, 8 (10%) continued through both home-based physical therapy program and telerehabilitation services. Conclusion: The majority of caregivers and their children participated in the study did not continue the physical therapy services and the reasons were high financial costs of physical therapy centers and fear of infection with COVID-19.

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