Randomized trial of telemedicine-assisted exercise and psychotherapy in patients with post COVID-19 syndrome
Project leader: Prof. Dr. Uwe Tegtbur
Research field
- Health services research with regard to the long-term impacts of the pandemic
Who is involved?
- Prof. Dr. Uwe Tegtbur (Project leader, MHH)
- PD Dr. Christian Sturm (MHH)
- Prof. Dr. Armin Koch (MHH)
- Prof. Dr. Martina de Zwaan (MHH)
- Dr. Isabell Pink (MHH)
- Dr. Lars Nachbar (MHH/Volkswagen Gesundheitswesen)
- Dirk Lauenstein (Audi BKK)
- Prof. Dr. Frank Klawonn (HZI)
What is the aim?
Post COVID(PC) patients with fatigue symptoms respond very differently to physical rehabilitation programs. While PC patients with psychological symptoms benefit little from physical interventions, fatigue and exercise capacity improves significantly without the presence of psychological symptoms. RCT studies on effects of psychotherapy in PC are not available. Therefore, our aim is to investigate effects of psychotherapy on fatigue, the effects of exercise therapy on fatigue and the effects of combined therapy of psychotherapy and exercise therapy on fatigue in 276 PC patients with fatigue in a randomized clinical trial. Patients will assigned to three intervention groups (psychotherapy, physical rehabilitation, combination of both). The intervention duration is three months with therapeutic counselling every two weeks. After that, it is evaluated whether one of the interventions is more efficient on average. After another three months without intervention, the sustainability will evaluated. Secondarily, we analyzes which patient benefits most from which therapeutic approach. From this, basic recommendations for outpatient psychotherapy and exercise therapy can be derived for outpatient care. In psychosomatics and rehabilitation/sports medicine at the MHH, there is broad, shared experience in telemedicine home-based therapy for chronically ill patients. In order to achieve outpatient care for PC patients in Lower Saxony, we plan to study telemedicine-based home-based exercise and psychotherapeutic interventions.