ArticleJMIR public health and surveillance2024
Patient-Reported Experiences of Persistent Post-COVID-19 Conditions After Hospital Discharge During the Second and Third Waves of the Pandemic in Switzerland: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study.
Article in JMIR public health and surveillance, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Patient-reported experiences and patient-reported experience measures in primary care, home care, and community settings. A scoping review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Feasibility, acceptance and effects of pulsed magnetic field therapy in patients with post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome : A randomized controlled pilot study.Wiener klinische Wochenschrift · 2025Trial
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5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundHospitalized patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 should recover within a few weeks. However, even those with mild versions can experience symptoms lasting 4 weeks or longer. These post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) comprise various new, returning, or ongoing symptoms that can last for months or years and cause disability. Few studies have investigated PCC using self-reports from discharged patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 to complement clinical and biomarker studies.
objectiveThis study aimed to investigate self-reported, persistent PCC among patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 who were discharged during the second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsWe designed, pretested, and posted an ad hoc paper questionnaire to all eligible inpatients discharged between October 2020 and April 2021. At 4 months post discharge, we collected data on PCC and scores for the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI), the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), a Brief Memory Screening Scale (Q3PC), and a posttraumatic stress disorder scale (PCL-5). Descriptive, inferential, and multivariate linear regression statistics assessed PCC symptomatology, associations, and differences regarding sociodemographic characteristics and hospital length of stay (LOS). We examined whether our variables of interest significantly predicted MFI scores.
resultsOf the 1993 valid questionnaires returned, 245 were from discharged patients with SARS-CoV-2 (median age 71, IQR 62.7-77 years). Only 28.2% (69/245) of respondents were symptom-free after 4 months. Women had significantly more persistent PCC symptoms than men (P≤.001). Patients with a hospital LOS ≥11 days had more PCC symptoms as well (P<.001)-women had more symptoms and longer LOS. No significant differences were found between age groups (18-64, 65-74, and ≥75 years old; P=.50) or between intensive care units and other hospitalization units (P=.09). Patients self-reported significantly higher PHQ-4 scores during their hospitalization than at 4 months later (P<.001). Three-fourth (187/245, 76.4%) of the respondents reported memory loss and concentration disorders (Q3PC). No significant differences in the median MFI score (56, IQR 1-3, range 50-60]) were associated with sociodemographic variables. Patients with a hospital LOS of ≥11 days had a significantly higher median PCL-5 score (P<.001). Multivariate linear regression allowed us to calculate that the combination of PHQ-4, Q3PC, and PCL-5 scores, adjusted for age, sex, and LOS (of either ≥11 days [median 2 symptoms, IQR 1-5] or <11 days), did not significantly predict MFI scores (R
conclusionsThe majority of inpatients infected with SARS-CoV-2 presented with PCC 4 months after discharge, with complex clinical pictures. Only one-third of them were symptom-free during that time. Based on our findings, MFI scores were not directly related to self-reported depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic scores adjusted for age, sex, or LOS. Further research is needed to explore PCC and fatigue based on self-reported health experiences of discharged inpatients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
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