Priorities for Research, Education, Clinical Practice, and Policy From the Long COVID Physio International Forum, 2024, McDuff et al.

Priorities for Research, Education, Clinical Practice, and Policy From the Long COVID Physio International Forum
McDuff, Kiera; Brown, Darren A.; Gross, Douglas P.; Faghy, Mark A.; Davenport, Todd E.; Audette, Jennifer; Bassi, Laura; Bull, Michelle; Cobbing, Saul E.; Décary, Simon; Flynn, Alison; Jeyes, Flic; Kaup, Cara; Martin, Malissa; Ngeh, Etienne; Putrino, David; Saravia, André; Shiloff-Rogers, Asya; Skiffington, Helen; Skipper, Lindsay; Vogel, Julia M.; O'Brien, Kelly K.

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 5 376) 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, personcentered 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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