Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33749957›Full record

ArticleHealth expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy2021

'Reluctant pioneer': A qualitative study of doctors' experiences as patients with long COVID.

Anna K Taylor, Tom Kingstone, Tracy A Briggs, Catherine A O'Donnell, Helen Atherton, David N Blane, Carolyn A Chew-Graham

Erratum issuedAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 53 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
53citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

53 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Exploring the influence of long COVID upon self-identity: a systematic literature review.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Psychosocial Aspects of the Lived Experience of Long COVID: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Studies.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. GP wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2022
    Pooled it
  6. Article
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  10. 'The Second Arrow': A Collaborative Autoethnographic Exploration of What Can Be Learned From One Long COVID Journey.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025
    Article
  11. Article
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  13. Lost and changed meaning in life of people with Long Covid: a qualitative study.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2024
    Article
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  15. Article
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  19. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Anna K TaylorSchool of Medicine, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8149-3841
Tom KingstoneSchool of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9179-2303
Tracy A BriggsDivision of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester University, Manchester, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5208-2691
Catherine A O'DonnellGeneral Practice & Primary Care, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-5368-3779
Helen AthertonUnit of Academic Primary Care, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7072-1925
David N BlaneGeneral Practice & Primary Care, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3872-3621
Carolyn A Chew-GrahamSchool of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9722-9981

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had far-reaching effects upon lives, healthcare systems and society. Some who had an apparently 'mild' COVID-19 infection continue to suffer from persistent symptoms, including chest pain, breathlessness, fatigue, cognitive impairment, paraesthesia, muscle and joint pains. This has been labelled 'long COVID'. This paper reports the experiences of doctors with long COVID.

methodsA qualitative study; interviews with doctors experiencing persistent symptoms were conducted by telephone or video call. Interviews were transcribed and analysis conducted using an inductive and thematic approach.

resultsThirteen doctors participated. The following themes are reported: making sense of symptoms, feeling let down, using medical knowledge and connections, wanting to help and be helped, combining patient and professional identity. Experiencing long COVID can be transformative: many expressed hope that good would come of their experiences. Distress related to feelings of being 'let down' and the hard work of trying to access care. Participants highlighted that they felt better able to care for, and empathize with, patients with chronic conditions, particularly where symptoms are unexplained.

conclusionsThe study adds to the literature on the experiences of doctors as patients, in particular where evidence is emerging and the patient has to take the lead in finding solutions to their problems and accessing their own care. PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The study was developed with experts by experience (including co-authors HA and TAB) who contributed to the protocol and ethics application, and commented on analysis and implications. All participants were given the opportunity to comment on findings.

Indexed as

COVID-19EmotionsHumansInterviews as TopicPandemicsPhysiciansPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeQualitative ResearchSARS-CoV-2chronic diseaseCOVID-19doctors as patientsgeneral practicehelp-seekinglong COVIDprofessional identity

Identifiers

PMID33749957
PMCPMC8235894

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.