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Observational Study
. 2023 Apr;51(2):337-345.
doi: 10.1007/s15010-022-01881-0. Epub 2022 Jul 13.

Mobile primary healthcare for post-COVID patients in rural areas: a proof-of-concept study

Andreas Stallmach  1   2 , Katrin Katzer  3 , Bianca Besteher  4 , Kathrin Finke  5 , Benjamin Giszas  3 , Yvonne Gremme  3   6 , Rami Abou Hamdan  7 , Katja Lehmann-Pohl  8 , Maximilian Legen  3 , Jan Christoph Lewejohann  6 , Marlene Machnik  4 , Majd Moshmosh Alsabbagh  3 , Luisa Nardini  7 , Christian Puta  7   9 , Zoe Stallmach  3 , Philipp A Reuken  3
Affiliations
Observational Study

Mobile primary healthcare for post-COVID patients in rural areas: a proof-of-concept study

Andreas Stallmach et al. Infection. 2023 Apr.

Abstract

Introduction: Post-COVID syndrome is increasingly recognized as a new clinical entity after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients living in rural areas may have to travel long with subjectively great effort to be examined using all necessary interdisciplinary tools. This problem could be addressed with mobile outpatient clinics.

Methods: In this prospective observational study, we investigated physical fitness, fatigue, depression, cognitive dysfunction, and dyspnea in patients with post-COVID syndrome in a mobile interdisciplinary post-COVID outpatient clinic. Upon referral from their primary care physician, patients were offered an appointment at a mobile post-COVID outpatient clinic close to their home.

Results: We studied 125 patients (female, n = 79; 63.2%) in our mobile unit. All patients reported symptoms lasting for more than 12 weeks after acute infection. 88.3% and 64.1% of patients reported significant impairment in physical and mental quality of life. Patients reported a median of three symptoms. The most frequently reported symptoms were fatigue (86.4%), cognitive dysfunction (85.6%), and dyspnea (37.6%). 56.0% of patients performed at < 2.5th percentile at the 1 min sit-to-stand test compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls, and 25 patients (20.0%) exhibited a drop in oxygen saturation. A questionnaire given to each patient regarding the mobile unit revealed a very high level of patient satisfaction.

Conclusion: There is an increasing need for high-quality and locally available care for patients with post-COVID syndrome. A mobile post-COVID outpatient clinic is a new concept that may be particularly suitable for use in rural regions. Patients' satisfaction following visits in such units is very high.

Keywords: Mobile outpatient clinic; Post-COVID.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no potential conflict of interest regarding the content of the manuscript.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Symptoms at presentation to the mobile post-COVID healthcare unit
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Venn diagram that indicates the overlap of patient symptoms including fatigue (blue circle), depression (green circle), and cognitive dysfunction (orange circle). Absolute numbers of patients are indicated
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Quality of life (QoL) of patients who presented to the mobile post-COVID healthcare unit compared to the German Norm Cohort (DEGS1) (grey area) as assessed by the SF36
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Patient evaluations of the mobile post-COVID healthcare unit
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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