Interdisciplinary Challenges in Long COVID Rehabilitation: Insights and Opportunities

Purpose: Effective translation of knowledge to rehabilitation practice requires disseminating relevant resources in accessible locations that meet the needs of clinicians. This study explored rehabilitation providers' perceived challenges in managing Long COVID and their strategies used to optimize the quality of care delivered. Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 2700 rehabilitation providers (900 PTs, 900 OTs, 900 SLPs) were randomly selected from the state with the highest prevalence of Long COVID according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Household Pulse Survey within each of the US geographic divisions. Participants were invited to complete a survey exploring their clinical challenges and methods utilized to obtain resources to support the rehabilitation needs of individuals with Long COVID. Results: A total of 296 providers (11.6% response rate) were included in the final analysis, with 97 (32.7%) indicating they treat people with Long COVID frequently or occasionally. Across the sample, lack of knowledge (60.1%) and lack of experience (59.0%) regarding the condition were identified as the primary challenges to rehabilitation. Professional networking (33.4%) and federal government websites (29%) were used to support knowledge, with noted differences in the forums accessed. Conclusions: Challenges exist in providing quality rehabilitation to individuals with Long COVID that can be addressed with evidence-based resources. However, rehabilitation providers may not be effectively accessing or utilizing these resources in practice, which may perpetuate these challenges. Targeted interdisciplinary initiatives that enhance clinicians understanding of Long COVID may increase the ability to identify individuals with this condition and either provide, or refer them to, quality rehabilitation to optimize outcomes.