Long COVID Optimal Health Programme to Enhance Mental and Physical Health: A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION

Long COVID (LC) is characterised by fatigue, muscle weakness and impaired concentration among other symptoms. No standardised diagnostic or treatment pathway is yet available, though a holistic, person-centred approach to symptom management is recommended. The LC Optimal Health Programme (LC-OHP) is a psychoeducational programme designed to support the mental and physical health of people with LC. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of delivering the LC-OHP to people with LC.

METHODS

This was a feasibility randomised controlled trial of the LC-OHP conducted across the UK. Adults diagnosed with LC were recruited and randomised to control (usual care) or to intervention (LC-OHP) groups; follow-up questionnaires were completed at three- and 6-months (December 2021 to May 2023).

RESULTS

Sixty participants were recruited with a completion rate of 83% (n = 50). Most participants in the LC-OHP group completed programme sessions (n = 19, 68%), rated the programme positively (n = 23, 87%); and felt that it had potential to improve health outcomes (n = 42, 70%). Initial findings demonstrate improvements across all variables at 3- and 6-months, and more so for the LC-OHP group than the control group in the short-term.

CONCLUSION

Findings support the feasibility of delivering the LC-OHP to people with LC. Further, initial data demonstrate potential for the programme to improve most outcomes at three and 6 months. Data from this feasibility trial will be used as an evidence base to support a fully powered RCT of the LC-OHP on patients with LC.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

The LC-OHP programme was adapted from the original OHP. Taking into account the various symptoms that people with LC experience, including fatigue and brain fog, public members were not directly involved in the design of the study; however, several approaches were considered to obtain ongoing support from public members while conducting the study, to suit people with LC. This included consulting with practitioners who care for people with LC and implementing their feedback, implementing prior feedback from patients with other chronic health conditions who used the OHP in previous studies, and collecting and implementing feedback from participants receiving this programme in this study. Additionally, two public members with lived LC experience were members of the data management committee that overviewed the study progress and provided continuous support. Public members and practitioners provided advice and guidance on different aspects related to the LC-OHP programme and to the process of delivering it to study participants. This included making the programme concise, visual, colourful, and more user-friendly, and adjusting and adapting the mode and timing of delivering the programme sessions (i.e., reduce the session duration, use convenient delivery methods) as preferred by study participants.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN trial register: registration number 38746119, https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN38746119.