Avoiding the Use of Outpatient Rehabilitation Services Under Long-Term Care Insurance During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: This study clarifies why patients avoided the use of outpatient rehabilitation services covered by long-term care insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Self-administered online questionnaires targeted 474 outpatient rehabilitation facilities under long-term care insurance in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. Results: Main avoidance reasons were users avoiding contact with other users, families avoiding contact with users and other users, and users avoiding contact with staff. Users' physical and cognitive functions, motivation for activities, and assistance levels subsequently deteriorated. Conclusion: Methods for providing rehabilitation are needed in future pandemics to ensure patients maintain physical and cognitive functions and live independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]