Rehabilitation research, practice and education the era of COVID-19’

Our 2020 Annual conference was jointed hosted online the British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine, Association of Chartered Physiotherapists for People with Learning Disabilities, and supported by the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation. It was an opportunity to share insights and best practice, discuss implications for the future of rehabilitation, and extend and strengthen professional networks.

Rehabilitation had been highlighted publicly and politically by the pandemic. Before COVID-19, rehabilitation services were already under strain. In 2020, new COVID-19 related rehabilitation needs emerged – not only from those who survived COVID-19, but also among those whose health has been impacted by isolation and other COVID-19-related factors. Taken together, more people need high quality, evidence-based rehabilitation for their long term, complex needs than ever before.

These urgent and important demands on rehabilitation affect everyone working in this important field; new questions have arisen about how best to adapt services to ensure they are fit for purpose and adaptable in future. There are important questions about new education and training, required by practitioners to deliver these services, as well as an urgent need for new research to strengthen the evidence underpinning rehabilitation practice.  

The following talks took place over two days: 

Impact of COVID 19 on function, activity and participation, and the need for rehabilitation

Professor Lynne Turner-Stokes

International perspectives on COVID-19 and the need for rehabilitation

Prof. Dr. med. Christoph Gutenbrunner, Department for Rehabilitation Medicine, Hannover Medical School

How acute illness and the need for acute rehabilitation go hand in hand in people living with frailty

Professor Kenneth Rockwood, Professor of Medicine (Geriatric Medicine & Neurology)

Kathryn Allen Weldon Professor of Alzheimer Research, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS Canada

SRR Philip Nichols Lecture

Professor Philip Rowe, Professor of Rehabilitation Science, University of Strathclyde

Rehabilitation for COVID-19 survivors

Rehabilitation post ICU – Professor Sally Singh, Leicester

Long term rehabilitation and support needs – Dr Manoj Sivan, Leeds 

What is Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR) surgery? 

Mr Norbert Kang, London

The impact of COVID-19 to Orthoptics: lessons for fast-tracking survey studies

Professor Fiona Rowe

Trauma Rehabilitation 

Trauma Rehabilitation Training – results of a survey

Dr Celine Lakra

Current training – the North West Experience

Dr Lin Cheng, Preston

From RM trainee to Trauma Rehab Consultant – a personal experience with tips and tricks

Dr Shigong Gou