Guidelines for occupational therapy assistance in COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic perspectives

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease of a recent presentation, caused by the new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 because it belongs to the SARS family (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). Scientifically grounded guidelines are needed on occupational therapists' interventions in caring for people with COVID-19 and on prospects for post-pandemic care. OBJECTIVE: To present guidelines and recommendations to occupational therapists on the clinical management of patients with COVID-19 at different levels of health care, to favor safe care with technical and scientific quality. METHOD: Ten occupational therapists from different Brazilian states, experts in their areas of expertise, met, through web conferences, to develop guidelines for the work of the occupational therapist in the pandemic of COVID-19. The target audience of these guidelines is composed of occupational therapists, managers, and other professionals interested in the knowledge and actions of Occupational Therapy with patients with COVID-19 and their families. As there are still no studies and systematic reviews of scientific evidence related to occupational therapy in COVID-19, the best guidelines and evidence available in the literature were analyzed. A wide review of national and international documents published on the subject, such as scientific articles and resolutions of the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health of Brazil, was carried out. Publications made available by international occupational therapy societies or professional organizations, such as the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, the American Association of Occupational Therapists, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists from United Kingdom, and the Colegio Profesional de Terapeutas Ocupacionales de la Comunidad from Madrid, Spain. RESULTS: The guidelines in this publication do not replace institutional and national policies. They are based on the principles of Occupational Science and the best evidence available in the literature and the experience of all professionals involved in the production of this document. Topics such as occupational deprivation resulting from the pandemic and the strategy of social detachment and the technical resources recommended for the promotion of occupational performance and management of pain and symptoms in different contexts were addressed, with emphasis on the role of the occupational therapist in primary care, hospital care and palliative care. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: Given the recent presentation of COVID-19, there is a need for constant updating of information, and new scientific evidence may be published. Clinical reasoning is essential for planning and implementing assistance to patients and their families or caregivers. It will be necessary to monitor patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 to verify the consequences of COVID-19, their needs and demands of rehabilitation, post-hospitalization, and post-pandemic.