Usefulness of telemedicine to reduce anxiety in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic through the application of a gerontological program in a first level care unit in Mexico

Abstract

The social confinement secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico caused an increase in the prevalence of anxiety in older people, as well as the complications of their pre-existing diseases due to lack of care. The health area, as well as in different fields, resorted to the use of information technologies to continue providing care to patients. The objective of this study was to determine the usefulness of telemedicine to reduce anxiety levels in older adults through the application of a Gerontological Program. A quasi-experimental study was carried out that included 5 people older than 60 years who attended in the period prior to confinement for COVID 19 to consultation in a first level care unit in Mexico in the period from March 25 to 31, 2021 , who had internet and a device (cell phone, computer, or tablet), a scale was applied to detect anxiety; Later, they were included in a Gerontology Program that consisted of a 30-minute session per week for three weeks, through a free video call platform (Zoom). Five activities were alternated in each session: emotional self-awareness; deep breathing; meditation; Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation; and guided imagination. Of the 5 people who started, only 4 complied with the program, observing a decrease in anxiety levels in all of them, concluding that telemedicine is useful to apply Gerontological programs aimed at reducing anxiety levels in older people.