This trial will evaluate the feasibility of a pilot educational intervention for GPs thataims to enhance care and care outcomes among patients with long COVID at six generalpractices in the Ireland East region.Our first objective is to conduct focus groups with key stakeholders (GPs, other healthprofessionals, patients, families/carers) that will inform the contents of an educationintervention. The second objective will be to implement this educational intervention,and the third objective will be to determine whether the intervention is feasible.Study outcomes will include: - Qualitative findings from co-design focus groups and post-intervention semi-structured interviews with GPs. - Practice and patient study recruitment and retention data. - GP / Practice characteristics: age & gender, practice location, general and COVID-19 patient population figures. - Patient characteristics: Patient age, gender, COVID-19 vaccination status, and medical history details. - Patient scores on a self-report measure assessing the symptoms, symptom severity, functional impact, and overall health (COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C-19-YRS)).
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Behavioral: Intervention Group
Intervention group activity involves three components:
1. Intervention group GPs will be provided with a long COVID 'toolkit'. The toolkit
will be prepared by the study team in collaboration with expert clinicians and
public and patient representatives as a resource for GPs to use in patient care.
2. GPs will attend an expert clinician / patient led long COVID educational session
grounded in the findings of the toolkit.
3. Applying learnings to date, each GP will conduct case reviews of eight patients with
long COVID attending their practice and provide patient care as appropriate.
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Age: Aged 18 years or older at the time of enrolment.
2. Registration: Are registered as patients at the study's participating practices.
3. COVID-19 Diagnosis:
- Previously received a positive COVID-19 PCR or antigen test, or
- Previously been clinically diagnosed with COVID-19 by a healthcare provider.
4. Persistent Symptoms:
o Have spoken with their general practitioner (GP) about experiencing persistent
symptoms lasting four weeks or more since their COVID-19 diagnosis.
5. Consent: Willing and able to provide informed consent to participate in the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Vulnerability: Deemed by participating GPs to be a vulnerable individual whose best
interests are served by not participating in the study, such as (but not limited
to):
- People with language difficulties that prevent meaningful communication.
- Individuals with a recognised or diagnosed intellectual, physical, or mental
impairment.
- Older adults considered particularly vulnerable.
- Individuals residing in institutions (e.g., care homes or prisons).
- Individuals with an unequal relationship with the researcher(s) (e.g., hierarchical
dependence).
- Members of marginalised or disadvantaged groups for whom participation may present
undue burden or risk.
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John M Broughan, MSc
+353868928972
john.broughan@ucd.ie
Walter Cullen, MD
walter.cullen@ucd.ie
Walter Cullen, MD, Principal Investigator
UCD NUI: University College Dublin