Participant Perspectives on a Tailored Rehabilitation Program for Long COVID: Qualitative Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and/or Objectives: Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) often includes persistent physical symptoms such as dyspnea, fatigue, orthostatic intolerance, and post-exertional malaise, along with cognitive impairments like brain fog and attention deficits. No standard rehabilitation protocol currently addresses both domains. This abstract reports qualitative findings from the intervention arm of a randomized controlled trial evaluating a novel, individualized physical and speech therapy intervention.

Design: Qualitative findings from the intervention arm of a randomized controlled trial.

Setting : Outpatient therapy clinics across three academic health centers (one urban, two suburban).

Participants : Fifty-four individuals (mean age 60.0 ± 12.6 years; 63% female; >17% racial/ethnic minority) with persistent symptoms following COVID-19 infection recruited from the Penn Medicine Biobank.

Interventions: Participants completed 12 sessions over six weeks: nine physical therapy and three speech therapy sessions. Physical therapy (twice weekly, 1 hour) targeted pacing, respiratory training, and autonomic regulation, with participants assigned to one of five tracks based on symptom severity. Speech therapy (once every two weeks, 1 hour) targeting participant-selected goals, attention, memory, and communication strategies.

Main Outcome Measures: Qualitative feedback assessing perceived quality of life, symptom impact, and program acceptability collected via structured surveys collected immediately post-intervention and at 90-day follow-up.

Results: 54/54 participants reported improvement in quality of life. Themes included increased stamina, better symptom management, and increased confidence in sustaining their recovery. No serious adverse events were reported, notably no subjects reported post-exertional malaise. 54/61 participants completed >80% of sessions.

Conclusions: A novel, tailored PT and ST program for PASC was safe, well-received, and perceived as effective. Findings support its feasibility and potential for broader implementation.