Episodic disability and adjustments for work: the ‘rehabilitative work’ of returning to employment with Long Covid

Anderson, Eilidh; Hunt, Kate; Wild, Cervantée; Nettleton, Sarah; Ziebland, Sue; MacLean, Alice

doi:10.1080/09687599.2024.2331722

Cited by 4 publications

References 39 publications

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Priorities for Research, Education, Clinical Practice, and Policy From the Long COVID Physio International Forum

McDuff,

Brown,

Gross

et al. 2024

Cardiopulm Phys Ther J

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Purpose: Long COVID Physio (LCP) is an international peer support, education and advocacy, patient-led association of physiotherapists living with long COVID and allies. In 2022, LCP hosted an international forum. One of the aims of the forum was to identify priorities in long COVID and rehabilitation. Methods: We conducted an international consultation on priorities for long COVID and rehabilitation with people living with long COVID, clinicians, researchers, and other key interest-holders (referred to collectively as “consultants”) who registered for and attended the LCP International Forum. We collected feedback from consultants using web-based questionnaires, the Zoom chat from the forum, and posts on an online platform during the forum. We analyzed data using group-based content analytical techniques. Priorities were organized into 4 categories: research, practice, education, and policy. Results: There were 794 respondents for the consultation representing 34 countries, including 47% (n = 376) living with long COVID. Seventeen priorities for long COVID overlapped and spanned research (epidemiology, socioeconomics, pathophysiology, characterizing disability, health equity, establishing diagnostic criteria, intervention studies), education (for people living with long COVID, employers, policy makers, and health care professional students), clinical practice (safety, person-centered approaches), and policy (accessibility of care, supports for people living with long COVID and caregivers, public health messaging). Priorities were focused on long COVID and rehabilitation, but some extended beyond the scope of rehabilitation (eg, pharmacological interventions). Conclusions: These priorities can help to guide research, clinical practice, education, and policy, to advance health outcomes for people living with long COVID.

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Priorities for Research, Education, Clinical Practice, and Policy From the Long COVID Physio International Forum

McDuff,

Brown,

Gross

et al. 2024

Cardiopulm Phys Ther J

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Return-to-work for People Living with Long COVID: A Scoping Review of Interventions and Recommendations

Nagra,

Ezeugwu,

Bostick

et al. 2024

Preprint

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IntroductionLong COVID affects individuals’ labour market participation in many ways. While some cannot work at all, others may return to work (RTW) in a limited capacity. Determining what rehabilitation or related strategies are safe and effective for facilitating RTW is necessary.ObjectivesTo synthesize evidence on RTW interventions for people living with Long COVID and to identify ‘promising’ interventions for enhancing work ability and RTW.MethodsWe followed Arksey & O’Malley’s methodology and the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews. Five electronic bibliographic databases and grey literature were searched. The included various study designs, such as randomized controlled trials (RCT), quasi-experimental designs, and observational studies. Two reviewers conducted screening and data extraction, with disagreements resolved through consensus. Intervention studies were categorized as promising (statistically significant RTW outcomes or ≥ 50% RTW), somewhat promising (20% to < 50% RTW), or not promising (non-statistically significant RTW outcomes or < 20% RTW).ResultsEleven recommendations and eleven intervention studies were identified. Of the intervention studies, 6 were cohort studies, 3 quasi-experimental studies, 1 RCT and 1 case report. Promising interventions included multimodal and interdisciplinary work-focused rehabilitation (1 article), psychoeducation, pacing, and breathing strategies (2 articles), shifting focus from symptom monitoring to optimizing functional outcomes (1 article), and enhanced external CounterPulsation (EECP) inflatable pressure to improve blood flow (1 article).ConclusionMany uncertainties remain regarding which RTW interventions are effective or the optimal characteristics of these interventions.

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“It’s a moving target”: Experiences of pacing to reduce symptom exacerbation among adults living with Long COVID – Results from an international community-engaged qualitative research study

McDuff,

Brown,

St. Clair-Sullivan

et al. 2024

Preprint

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IntroductionLong COVID is a multisystem condition that negatively impacts daily function. Pacing is a self-management strategy to mitigate symptoms. Our aim was to describe experiences of pacing from the perspectives of adults living with Long COVID.MethodsWe conducted a community-engaged qualitative descriptive study involving one-on-one online interviews with adults living with Long COVID from Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, and United States to explore experiences of disability. We asked participants about strategies they used to deal with health challenges living with Long COVID. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. We analyzed data using group-based content analytical techniques.ResultsAmong the 40 participants living with Long COVID, the majority were women (n=25; 63%), white (n=29;73%) and heterosexual (n=30;75%). The median age of participants was 39 years (25th, 75th percentile: 32, 49). Most participants (n=37;93%) used pacing to mitigate or prevent symptoms. Participant described experiences of pacing across five main areas: 1) using pacing as a living strategy (pacing to mitigate multidimensional health challenges; applying pacing to many types of activities; process of pacing experienced as a moving target; pacing experienced as a helpful strategy, but not a cure for Long COVID); 2) learning how to pace (acquiring knowledge about pacing; developing strategies and skills to support pacing); 3) encountering challenges with pacing (learning how to pace; experiencing inequitable access to pacing; experiencing stigma and judgement; undergoing psychological and emotional adjustment from beliefs of ‘fighting’ or ‘pushing through’ to balancing rest with activity; making sacrifices; and encountering unexpected obstacles); 4) experiencing consequences of not pacing; and 5) conceptualising and describing pacing using analogies or metaphors.DiscussionPacing is a challenging and complex strategy used to mitigate symptoms of Long COVID. Healthcare providers should work collaboratively with patients to further refine and implement this strategy, when appropriate.

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Episodic disability and adjustments for work: the ‘rehabilitative work’ of returning to employment with Long Covid

Cited by 4 publications

References 39 publications

Priorities for Research, Education, Clinical Practice, and Policy From the Long COVID Physio International Forum

Priorities for Research, Education, Clinical Practice, and Policy From the Long COVID Physio International Forum

Return-to-work for People Living with Long COVID: A Scoping Review of Interventions and Recommendations

“It’s a moving target”: Experiences of pacing to reduce symptom exacerbation among adults living with Long COVID – Results from an international community-engaged qualitative research study

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