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Patients' Perspectives on Life and Recovery 1 Year After COVID-19 Hospitalization.
- Source :
-
Journal of general internal medicine [J Gen Intern Med] 2023 Aug; Vol. 38 (10), pp. 2374-2382. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jun 02. - Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- Background: Many patients hospitalized for COVID-19 experience prolonged symptoms months after discharge. Little is known abou t patients' personal experiences recovering from COVID-19 in the United States (US), where medically underserved populations are at particular risk of adverse outcomes.<br />Objective: To explore patients' perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 hospitalization and barriers to and facilitators of recovery 1 year after hospital discharge in a predominantly Black American study population with high neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage.<br />Design: Qualitative study utilizing individual, semi-structured interviews.<br />Participants: Adult patients hospitalized for COVID-19 approximately 1 year after discharge home who were engaged in a COVID-19 longitudinal cohort study.<br />Approach: The interview guide was developed and piloted by a multidisciplinary team. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data were coded and organized into discrete themes using qualitative content analysis with constant comparison techniques.<br />Key Results: Of 24 participants, 17 (71%) self-identified as Black, and 13 (54%) resided in neighborhoods with the most severe neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage. One year after discharge, participants described persistent deficits in physical, cognitive, or psychological health that impacted their current lives. Repercussions included financial suffering and a loss of identity. Participants reported that clinicians often focused on physical health over cognitive and psychological health, an emphasis that posed a barrier to recovering holistically. Facilitators of recovery included robust financial or social support systems and personal agency in health maintenance. Spirituality and gratitude were common coping mechanisms.<br />Conclusions: Persistent health deficits after COVID-19 resulted in downstream consequences in participants' lives. Though participants received adequate care to address physical needs, many described persistent unmet cognitive and psychological needs. A more comprehensive understanding of barriers and facilitators for COVID-19 recovery, contextualized by specific healthcare and socioeconomic needs related to socioeconomic disadvantage, is needed to better inform intervention delivery to patients that experience long-term sequelae of COVID-19 hospitalization.<br /> (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Society of General Internal Medicine.)
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1525-1497
- Volume :
- 38
- Issue :
- 10
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of general internal medicine
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 37268779
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-023-08246-9