How a long COVID rehabilitation intervention works: refining its programme theory through a realist-informed qualitative study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although the majority of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 recover without treatment, some individuals experience persistent symptoms (long COVID), which may negatively affect their activities and roles of everyday life, leaving them with a profound rehabilitation need. In response to the emergence of long COVID patients, a Danish municipality developed and implemented a structured, out-patient long COVID rehabilitation intervention (The Long COVID Rehabilitation Intervention). To understand how, why and for whom the intervention works, and its functioning, an exploration of the underlying programme theory is required. We thus aimed to explore the interactions between the intervention mechanisms of change, the implementation context and the expected outcomes of The Lo

SUBMITTER: Nielsen TB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12829008 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature