Provision of occupational therapy care during the COVID-19 via telehealth to children from families living in conditions of vulnerability and confinement

Prestação de cuidados em terapia ocupacional durante a COVID-19 via telessaúde para crianças de famílias que vivem em condições de vulnerabilidade e confinamento

Prestación de atención de terapia ocupacional durante el COVID-19 a través de telesalud a niños de familias que viven en condiciones de vulnerabilidad y confinamiento

Abstract

Introduction  The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on health and education, parents and children living in non-urban areas were severely affected.

Objective  To design and implement a telehealth based occupational therapy intervention aimed at improving the well-being of children under nine years of age living in vulnerability and confinement conditions, the latter due to the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic, through the provision of context-based occupational counseling to their parent/caregivers.

Methods  Before-and-after study conducted in families from rural and peri-urban areas living in conditions of vulnerability and in which children were attending online school. Descriptive and a bivariate analysis of the baseline conditions of the sample were performed, as well as before-after comparisons of the objectives achieved and their differences.

Results  13 families completed the assessment and intervention processes (12 sessions, 94% attendance); the average age of children was 7.3 years, and in 92.3% of the families the head of the household was a woman. The before-after goals evaluation showed there were gains in all proposed goals, with the highest gains observed in the family social participation category.

Conclusions  Occupational therapy, telehealth and a context-based approach provide a broad array of benefits to families and children living in vulnerability and confinement conditions.

Keywords:
Occupational Therapy; Family; Telemedicine; Rural Health Services; Remote Consultation; COVID-19