Integrated care policy recommendations for complex multisystem long term conditions and long COVID
The importance of integrated care for complex, multiple long term conditions was acknowledged before the COVID pandemic but remained a challenge. The pandemic and consequent development of Long COVID required rapid adaptation of health services to address the population’s needs, requiring service redesigns including integrated care. This Delphi consensus study was conducted in the UK and found similar integrated care priorities for Long COVID and complex, multiple long term conditions, provided by 480 patients and health care providers, with an 80% consensus rate. The resultant recommendations were based on more than 1400 responses from survey participants and were supported by patients, health care professionals, and by patient charities. Participants identified the need to allocate resources to: support integrated care, provide access to care and treatments that work, provide diagnostic procedures that support the personalization of treatment in an integrated care environment, and enable structural consultation between primary and specialist care settings including physical and mental health care. Based on the findings we propose a model for delivering integrated care by a multidisciplinary team to people with complex multisystem conditions. These recommendations can inform improvements to integrated care for complex, multiple long term conditions and Long COVID at international level.
Funding
STIMULATE-ICP (Symptoms, Trajectory, Inequalities and Management: Understanding Long-COVID to Address and Transform Existing Integrated Care Pathways)
National Institute for Health Research
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Citation
van der Feltz-Cornelis, C.M., Sweetman, J., Turk, F. et al. Integrated care policy recommendations for complex multisystem long term conditions and long COVID. Sci Rep 14, 13634 (2024)Author affiliation
College of Life Sciences Population Health SciencesVersion
- VoR (Version of Record)
Published in
Scientific ReportsVolume
14Pagination
13634Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLCissn
2045-2322eissn
2045-2322Acceptance date
2024-06-05Copyright date
2024Available date
2024-07-16Publisher DOI
Spatial coverage
EnglandLanguage
enPublisher version
Deposited by
Professor Kamlesh KhuntiDeposit date
2024-07-12Rights Retention Statement
- No