Samenvatting

OBJECTIVE: To report the study protocol and baseline characteristics of a prospective cohort study to evaluate longitudinal recovery trajectories of patients recovering from COVID-19 who have visited a primary care allied health professional. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study with a mixed-methods approach. PATIENTS: Patients recovering from COVID-19 treated by primary care dietitians, exercise therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and/or speech and language therapists in the Netherlands. METHODS: The prospective study will measure primary outcome domains: participation, health-related quality of life, fatigue, physical functioning, and costs, at baseline, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Interviews, on the patients' experiences with allied healthcare, will be held with a subsample of patients and allied health professionals. RESULTS: The cohort comprises 1,451 patients (57% female, mean age 49 (standard deviation 13) years). Preliminary results for the study cohort show that 974 (67%) of the participants reported mild/moderate severity symptoms during the infection period and patients reported severe complaints in activities of daily living compared with previous research in other patient populations. Both quantitative and qualitative, will provide insight into the recovery of patients who are treated by allied health professionals. CONCLUSION: This preliminary report describes how the prospective study aims to longitudinally evaluate the recovery trajectories and related costs of patients recovering from COVID-19 who are treated by 1 or more allied health professionals in the Netherlands. In addition, baseline data of patients in the cohort are presented.