I Had to Know About It, I Had to Find It, I Had to Know How to Access it: Experiences of Access to Rehabilitation Services Among People Living with Long COVID

Purpose:The aim of this qualitative study is to understand the need for, access to, and quality of rehabilitation services for people living with Long COVID. Little is known about the experiences of people living with Long COVID accessing rehabilitation services. Therefore, we explored health concerns leading people living with Long COVID to seek help to address functional concerns and their experiences with accessing and participating in rehabilitation.Method:Interpretive description guided exploration of participants' experiences with Long COVID rehabilitation in Alberta, Canada. Semi-structured interviews were completed with 56 participants recruited from: three publicly funded Long COVID clinics, a specialized private physiotherapy clinic, a telephone-based rehabilitation advice line, and a Workers' Compensation Board-funded Long COVID rehabilitation program. Recruitment through mass media coverage allowed us to include people who did not access rehabilitation services. Data analysis was informed by Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis.Results:Four themes were identified: (1) the burden of searching for guidance to address challenges with functioning and disability; (2) supportive relationships promote engagement in rehabilitation; (3) conditions for participation in safe rehabilitation; and (4) looking forward - provision of appropriate interventions at the right time.Conclusions:Our findings highlight the experiences of accessing rehabilitation services for people living with Long COVID. Results suggest approaches to Long COVID rehabilitation should be accessible, multi-disciplinary, flexible, and person-centred. Objectif :etude qualitative pour comprendre les besoins en services de readaptation des personnes qui vivent avec la COVID longue, l'acces a ces services et leur qualite. On sait peu de choses sur les experiences des personnes qui vivent avec la COVID longue et accedent a des services de readaptation. C'est pourquoi les auteurs ont explore les inquietudes qui incitent ces personnes a demander de l'aide pour repondre a leurs problemes fonctionnels et les experiences qu'elles ont vecues en matiere d'acces a la readaptation et de participation aux services qui y sont associes.Methodologie :exploration guidee de la description interpretative des experiences des participants qui suivent une readaptation a cause de la COVID longue en Alberta, au Canada. Les chercheurs ont procede a des entrevues semi-structurees aupres de 56 participants recrutes dans trois cliniques de COVID longue financees par le gouvernement, une clinique de physiotherapie specialisee privee, une ligne telephonique de conseils en readaptation et un programme de readaptation apres la COVID longue rembourse par la commission des accidents de travail. Le recrutement dans les medias de masse a permis d'inclure des personnes qui n'avaient pas accede aux services de readaptation. L'examen des donnees reposait sur l'analyse thematique reflexive de Braun et Clarke.Resultats :les chercheurs ont releve quatre themes : 1) le fardeau de la recherche de conseils pour repondre aux problemes de fonctionnement et d'incapacite; 2) les relations de soutien qui favorisent la participation a la readaptation; 3) les conditions necessaires pour participer a une readaptation securitaire et 4) pour l'avenir, la prestation d'interventions appropriees au bon moment.Conclusions :les constatations des auteurs font ressortir les experiences d'acces aux services de readaptation chez les personnes qui vivent avec la COVID longue. Selon les resultats, les approches de readaptation apres la COVID longue devraient etre accessibles, multidisciplinaires, flexibles et axees sur l'individu.

Automated summary

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the needs, access, and quality of rehabilitation services for people living with Long COVID. The study identified four themes: the burden of searching for guidance, the importance of supportive relationships, the conditions for safe rehabilitation, and the provision of appropriate interventions at the right time. The findings suggest that approaches to Long COVID rehabilitation should be accessible, multidisciplinary, flexible, and person-centered.