Abstract
Background: Existing pulmonary rehabilitation services have been adapted to accommodate the excess demands for support for people with post-coronavirus disease syndrome. For many low- and middle-income countries, where pulmonary rehabilitation is not routinely available, interventions specific to local contexts are needed.
Objective: This study aimed to examine the views of healthcare workers in Nigeria on ways to support individuals’ recovery from post-coronavirus disease syndrome.
Design: An online survey repeated at two time points during the pandemic via social media.
Setting: Data collection occurred in April–July 2020 and January–July 2021, coordinated from Abuja, Nigeria.
Participants: A convenience sample of healthcare workers voluntarily completed the survey without any time constraints.
Main outcome measures: The survey comprised closed and open-ended questions, in English, with free text boxes for additional comments where necessary. The survey included questions on the key components of post-coronavirus disease support; appropriate location, timing and communication strategies; barriers to healthcare workers referring patients; and perceived barriers to patients accepting a referral.
Results: Two hundred and two fully completed responses were received from healthcare workers (52% male, 53% physiotherapists). The majority (88%) recommended support of hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients with home (57%) or community-based (70%) interventions combining video (57%) and telephone (74%) support. Priority components were aerobic exercise (69%), coping with the stigma of infection (68%), advice on nutrition (68%) and integrating back into the community (63%). Healthcare worker-perceived patient barriers to accepting support were cost of treatment (64%), patient stigmatisation (63%) and risk of patient re-infection (53%). The main healthcare
worker barrier in referring patients was inadequate personal protective equipment (63%).
Limitations: This exploratory survey study recruited a convenience sample, was available only online and relied on social media for uptake, leading to probable selection bias. Limitations in staffing and resources meant that people with post-coronavirus disease syndrome were not recruited.
Conclusion: Post-coronavirus disease support was viewed as a high priority by healthcare workers in Nigeria. These results act as a foundation for developing suitable support interventions for post-coronavirus disease survivors with ongoing symptom burden. The suggested structure, content and delivery of post-coronavirus disease support fits well with the conventional structure of pulmonary rehabilitation.
Future work: The development of post-coronavirus disease support interventions in Nigeria.
Objective: This study aimed to examine the views of healthcare workers in Nigeria on ways to support individuals’ recovery from post-coronavirus disease syndrome.
Design: An online survey repeated at two time points during the pandemic via social media.
Setting: Data collection occurred in April–July 2020 and January–July 2021, coordinated from Abuja, Nigeria.
Participants: A convenience sample of healthcare workers voluntarily completed the survey without any time constraints.
Main outcome measures: The survey comprised closed and open-ended questions, in English, with free text boxes for additional comments where necessary. The survey included questions on the key components of post-coronavirus disease support; appropriate location, timing and communication strategies; barriers to healthcare workers referring patients; and perceived barriers to patients accepting a referral.
Results: Two hundred and two fully completed responses were received from healthcare workers (52% male, 53% physiotherapists). The majority (88%) recommended support of hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients with home (57%) or community-based (70%) interventions combining video (57%) and telephone (74%) support. Priority components were aerobic exercise (69%), coping with the stigma of infection (68%), advice on nutrition (68%) and integrating back into the community (63%). Healthcare worker-perceived patient barriers to accepting support were cost of treatment (64%), patient stigmatisation (63%) and risk of patient re-infection (53%). The main healthcare
worker barrier in referring patients was inadequate personal protective equipment (63%).
Limitations: This exploratory survey study recruited a convenience sample, was available only online and relied on social media for uptake, leading to probable selection bias. Limitations in staffing and resources meant that people with post-coronavirus disease syndrome were not recruited.
Conclusion: Post-coronavirus disease support was viewed as a high priority by healthcare workers in Nigeria. These results act as a foundation for developing suitable support interventions for post-coronavirus disease survivors with ongoing symptom burden. The suggested structure, content and delivery of post-coronavirus disease support fits well with the conventional structure of pulmonary rehabilitation.
Future work: The development of post-coronavirus disease support interventions in Nigeria.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | (In-Press) |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Global Health Research |
| Volume | (In-Press) |
| Early online date | 22 May 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 22 May 2024 |
| Externally published | Yes |