ABSTRACT
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has given rise to a global pandemic, as well as a multitude of long-term sequelae that continue to perplex physicians around the world, including in the United States. Among the most common and impactful long-haul symptoms experienced by survivors is COVID-19 fatigue. This review will use long COVID-19, post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PCS), and PostAcute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) as synonymous terms to refer to the chronic symptomatology;chronic fatigue associated with PASC will be referred to as COVID-19 fatigue. While the knowledge and research on the exact pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the disease is still limited, parallels have been drawn between fatigue as a component of long COVID-19 and myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Current studies suggest applying principles of pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment similar to those for ME/CFS in order to aid in managing chronic fatigue in COVID-19 survivors, particularly in the primary care setting. The osteopathic family physician can use the proposed pharmacologic agents, along with osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), as therapeutic modalities that can be tailored to each patient's unique case. Nevertheless, research on proven successful treatments is still scarce. For that reason, it is essential that COVID-19 fatigue is recognized early, especially since its longitudinal impacts may be debilitating for many. This review of the available literature on COVID-19 fatigue aims to help provide quality care and lessen the disease burden experienced by patients.Copyright © 2023 by the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Since 2020, allopathic and osteopathic residency programs have been required to meet uniform standards under the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). These standards require programs to advance teaching skills and education scholarship among faculty. Resources to address these requirements are commonly available in large, urban GME programs. However, meeting the standards can be challenging for smaller, community-based programs, particularly those that were previously accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). “Enhancing Teaching Skills for Medical Educators” was created to promote core teaching and education scholarship competencies, and advance collaboration among medical educators in the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Graduate Medical Education (GME) system, which is the third largest GME system in the US and includes sites within 200-miles of Pittsburgh. This virtual faculty development program was designed to be convenient, digestible, feasible, and relevant to GME educators in diverse settings. Faculty from UPMC residency programs are invited to participate. Since inception in 2019, participation has increased from 10-15 to more than 50 participants per session, representing multiple sites and specialties. DESCRIPTION: “Enhancing Teaching Skills” is a virtual webinar offered over the lunch hour every other month during the academic year. We choose core topics in education that are practically applied to real-life teaching scenarios, so they are relevant for the broad faculty audience. Facilitators include at least one allopathic physician, most of whom are faculty in the Department of Medicine, and one osteopathic physician, most of whom are community-based internists or family medicine physicians. The latter are encouraged to include osteopathic principles to appeal to programs with an osteopathic focus, including those seeking Osteopathic Recognition. Participants are offered AMA or AOA CME credit. Sessions are recorded and archived online. The series has completed a total of 15 sessions over 4 academic years to date. EVALUATION: Formal assessment is being planned. Informal, qualitative feedback indicates participants find the sessions are relevant and convenient. As participation is voluntary, the sustained increase in attendance is a testament to the value educators find in participation. DISCUSSION / REFLECTION / LESSONS LEARNED: The success of our series has stemmed from the high degree of collaboration between academically- based faculty and those who work in community settings, the convenience of a virtual session, and the practical teaching strategies that can be employed in diverse teaching settings. Although our series has been held in virtual format since inception, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the comfort of facilitators and participants with virtual teaching. The archived content creates a curriculum that supports ongoing education for faculty and chief residents throughout the GME network.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 continues to be a major societal disruptor that threatens the wellness and health of millions of people worldwide. We rightfully celebrate the over 20 million survivors in the United States, yet, what constitutes actual recovery, as many face continuing repercussions of their illness? This paper reviews COVID-19, focusing on its sequela of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and the accompanying intensive care unit stay, treatment options and its increased morbidity. Outlined is the importance of long-term, comprehensive care for post-infection patients, as well as the numerous barriers to adequate care. We suggest looking to doctors of osteopathic medicine to bridge the gaps in multifactorial care, including psychological and physical dysfunction. Osteopathic medicine is discussed as a potential benefit during this pandemic by reviewing its effectiveness in a previous pandemic. However, additional work must be conducted to improve awareness of needed care and delivery of that care.