News: Outpatient rehabilitation programs effective for post-COVID-19 condition

Brief outpatient cognitive and behavioral rehabilitation was found to be effective and safe for patients with post–COVID-19 condition (PCC), according to a study recently published in JAMA Network Open. 

PCC is the persistence of symptoms for three months or longer following an infection, including fatigue, dyspnea, and cognitive dysfunction; along with major functional impairments and no other condition that could explain the symptoms.

Researchers in Norway conducted a randomized clinical trial of 314 patients with mild to moderate PCC. Patients were evenly assigned to either an intervention group or a care as usual (CAU) group.

The intervention group was assigned to establish transdiagnostic rehabilitation programs with physicians and physiotherapists trained in cognitive and behavioral approaches. The programs consisted of two to eight outpatient encounters, with approximately two to six weeks between encounters.

The researchers found that that patients with PCC reported “sustained and clinically significant better physical function following a brief outpatient rehabilitation program based on a cognitive and behavioral approach compared with CAU.”

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in JustCoding. To read the JAMA article, click here.