Repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on health services for people with disabilities: report from rehabilitation professionals

Several healthcare processes, including rehabili-tation, require prompt initiation and cannot be interrupted. Therefore, these processes underwent important adaptations during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is not fully known how healthcare facilities adapted their strategies and what the results were. This study investigated how rehabilitation services were affected dur-ing the pandemic and what strategies were em-ployed to maintain the provided services. From June 2020 to February 2021, 17 semi-structured interviews were conducted with healthcare profes-sionals working in rehabilitation services from the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS), who work at one of the three levels of care, in the municipalities of Santos and Sao Paulo, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed via content analysis. The professionals reported organizational changes in their services, with the initial interruption of appointments and, subsequently, the adoption of new sanitary protocols and the gradual return to in-person and/or remote appointments. Working conditions were directly impacted, as there was a need for staffing, training, increased workloads, as well as physical and mental exhaustion among professionals. The pandemic caused a series of changes in healthcare services, some of which were interrupted due to the suspension of numerous ser-vices and appointments. Some in-person appoint-ments were maintained exclusively for patients who presented a risk of short-term deterioration. Preventive sanitary measures and strategies for continuity of care were adopted.