Implementation of a Provincial Long COVID Care Pathway in Alberta, Canada: Provider Perceptions.

A novel, complex chronic condition emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic: long COVID. The persistent long COVID symptoms can be multisystem and varied. Effective long COVID management requires multidisciplinary, collaborative models of care, which continue to be developed and refined. Alberta's provincial health system developed a novel long COVID pathway. We aimed to clarify the perspectives of multidisciplinary healthcare providers on the early implementation of the provincial long COVID pathway, particularly pathway acceptability, adoption, feasibility, and fidelity using Sandelowki's qualitative description. Provider participants were recruited from eight early-user sites from across the care continuum. Sites represented primary care (n = 4), outpatient rehabilitation (n = 3), and COVID-19 specialty clinics (n = 2). Participants participated in structured or semi-structured virtual interviews (both group and 1:1 were available). Structured interviews sought to clarify context, processes, and pathway use; semi-structured interviews targeted provider perceptions of pathway implementation, including barriers and facilitators. Analysis was guided by Hsieh and Shannon as well as Sandelowski. Across the eight sites that participated, five structured interviews (n = 13 participants) and seven semi-structured interviews (n = 15 participants) were completed. Sites represented primary care (n = 4), outpatient rehabilitation (n = 3), and COVID-19 specialty clinics (n = 2). Qualitative content analysis was used on transcripts and field notes. Provider perceptions of the early implementation outcomes of the provincial long COVID pathway revealed three key themes: process perceptions; awareness of patient educational resources; and challenges of evolving knowledge.

Exploring Rehabilitation Provider Experiences of Providing Health Services for People Living with Long COVID in Alberta.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 infection can result in persistent symptoms, known as long COVID. Understanding the provider experience of service provision for people with long COVID symptoms is crucial for improving care quality and addressing potential challenges. Currently, there is limited knowledge about the provider experience of long COVID service delivery. AIM: To explore the provider experience of delivering health services to people living with long COVID at select primary, rehabilitation, and specialty care sites. DESIGN AND SETTING: This study employed qualitative description methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with frontline providers at primary care, rehabilitation, and specialty care sites across Alberta. Participants were interviewed between June and September 2022. METHOD: Interviews were conducted virtually over zoom, audio-recorded, and transcribed with consent. Iterative inductive qualitative content analysis of transcripts was employed. Relationships between emergent themes were examined for causality or reciprocity, then clustered into content areas and further abstracted into a priori categories through their interpretive joint meaning. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 15 participants across Alberta representing diverse health care disciplines were interviewed. RESULTS: Main themes include: the importance of education for long COVID recognition; the role of symptom acknowledgement in patient-centred long COVID service delivery; the need to develop recovery expectations; and opportunities for improvement of navigation and wayfinding to long COVID services. CONCLUSIONS: Provider experience of delivering long COVID care can be used to inform patient-centred service delivery for persons with long COVID symptoms.

Accessing Care Services for Long COVID Sufferers in Alberta, Canada: A Random, Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Designing appropriate rehabilitation programs for long COVID-19 remains challenging. The purpose of this study was to explore the patient experience of accessing long COVID-19 rehabilitation and recovery services. In this cross-sectional, observational study, a telephone survey was administered to a random sample of persons with long COVID-19 in a Canadian province. Participants included adults who tested positive for COVID-19 between March and October 2021. Survey respondents (n = 330) included individuals who had been previously hospitalized for COVID-19 (n = 165) and those who had not been hospitalized ('non-hospitalized') for COVID-19 (n = 165). Significantly more previously hospitalized respondents visited a family doctor for long COVID-19 symptoms compared to non-hospitalized respondents (hospitalized: n = 109 (66.1%); non-hospitalized: n = 25 (15.2%); (p < 0.0001)). Previously hospitalized respondents reported significantly more referrals to specialty healthcare providers for long COVID-19 sym`ptoms (hospitalized: n = 45 (27.3%); non-hospitalized: n = 6 (3.6%); (p < 0.001)). A comparable number of respondents in both groups accessed care services that did not require a referral to manage their long COVID-19 symptoms (hospitalized: n = 31 (18.8%); non-hospitalized: n = 20 (12.1%); (p = 0.20)). These findings demonstrate the diversity of recovery services used by individuals with long COVID-19 and emphasize the need for multidisciplinary long COVID-19 rehabilitation and recovery care pathways.

Understanding the Experience of Long COVID Symptoms in Hospitalized and Non-Hospitalized Individuals: A Random, Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

The relationship between initial COVID-19 infection and the development of long COVID remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare the experience of long COVID in previously hospitalized and non-hospitalized adults in a community-based, cross-sectional telephone survey. Participants included persons with positive COVID-19 test results between 21 March 2021 and 21 October 2021 in Alberta, Canada. The survey included 330 respondents (29.1% response rate), which included 165 previously hospitalized and 165 non-hospitalized individuals. Significantly more previously hospitalized respondents self-reported long COVID symptoms (81 (49.1%)) compared to non-hospitalized respondents (42 (25.5%), p < 0.0001). Most respondents in both groups experienced these symptoms for more than 6 months (hospitalized: 66 (81.5%); non-hospitalized: 25 (59.5), p = 0.06). Hospitalized respondents with long COVID symptoms reported greater limitations on everyday activities from their symptoms compared to non-hospitalized respondents (p < 0.0001) and tended to experience a greater impact on returning to work (unable to return to work-hospitalized: 20 (19.1%); non-hospitalized: 6 (4.5%), p < 0.0001). No significant differences in self-reported long COVID symptoms were found between male and female respondents in both groups (p > 0.05). This study provides novel data to further support that individuals who were hospitalized for COVID-19 appear more likely to experience long COVID symptoms.

Exploring community perspectives on the impacts of COVID-19 on food security and food sovereignty in Nunavut communities.

BACKGROUND: In Nunavut, where 70% of children are food insecure, many households rely on school breakfast or community food programmes for nourishment. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting policies to reduce the spread of the disease have the potential to exacerbate existing issues, including increasing food insecurity in households. Funding programmes were implemented to limit the impact of public-health measures on household and community food security. The overall effects of the actions are not yet understood. METHODS: This project used a qualitative approach to examine the determinants of food security and sovereignty and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic policy responses on these determinants in Arviat and Iqaluit. Narrative analysis applied within a relational epistemology was used to describe the experiences of community members in Iqaluit and Arviat during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Seven participants were interviewed in Iqaluit (n=3) and Arviat (n=4). Key themes included the importance of decolonisation for food sovereignty, the importance of food sharing to communities and the resilience of communities during COVID-19. Community members wished to see greater support and strengthening of the country (locally harvested) food economy to increase knowledge of food and harvesting skill, and for communities to find ways to reach residents who may fall through the cracks during times of need or crisis. CONCLUSIONS: This study is one of the first to document Nunavummiut experiences and perspectives of food security and sovereignty in Arviat and Iqaluit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perspectives of Nunavut patients and families on their cancer and end of life care experiences.

The present study arose from a recognition among service providers that Nunavut patients and families could be better supported during their care journeys by improved understanding of people's experiences of the health-care system. Using a summative approach to content analysis informed by the Piliriqatigiinniq Model for Community Health Research, we conducted in-depth interviews with 10 patients and family members living in Nunavut communities who experienced cancer or end of life care. Results included the following themes: difficulties associated with extensive medical travel; preference for care within the community and for family involvement in care; challenges with communication; challenges with culturally appropriate care; and the value of service providers with strong ties to the community. These themes emphasise the importance of health service capacity building in Nunavut with emphasis on Inuit language and cultural knowledge. They also underscore efforts to improve the quality and consistency of communication among health service providers working in both community and southern referral settings and between service providers and the patients and families they serve.