10 Mar 2021An innovative digital programme to treat the long-lasting symptoms of COVID-19 infection is helping patients in over 10 hospitals across 5 NHS trusts.
The Living With Covid Recovery programme, supported by ARC North Thames, targets patients who have been discharged but are continuing to recover and rehabilitate at home. By delivering rehabilitation completely remotely, the programme helps NHS staff support more patients than would normally be possible in a timely and cost-effective way. It is currently helping over 150 patients with their recovery.
The programme has been developed by a team of health researchers and computer scientists at University College London (UCL) in collaboration with NIHR Applied Research Collaborations for North Thames and Wessex (ARC North Thames and ARC Wessex), UCLPartners, University of Southampton, University of Exeter and Living With.
The rehabilitation tool targets primary symptoms that ‘long-haulers’ - people living with what is sometimes known as Long Covid - report experiencing for many weeks and even months after the peak of their infection. This includes fatigue, anxiety and breathing problems. The tool combines evidence-based methods from physiotherapists, psychologists, dieticians and respiratory physicians to create bespoke treatment plans for each patient.
Public and Patient Involvement
Patients have also been involved and consulted throughout the development of the programme, to ensure that it provides the support they need.
Sophie, a patient who has been using the app since August, said:
"Five months after having Covid, I was still feeling very breathless and easily tired - even walks could frustratingly leave me coughing and wheezing. I have found the Living With Covid Recovery tool very helpful in tracking my progress and building up my activity levels.
One of the most important aspects for me is the connection to support and advice from my own physiotherapist through the app, which has helped reassure me and feel that I'm not alone."
Video: Professor Elizabeth Murray describes the Living With COVID Recovery programme
Following successful use across Barts Health NHS Trust, the project was awarded over £780,000 from the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) to continue its expansion and help more patients in need.
Prof Elizabeth Murray, Deputy Director (Clinical) at UCL Institute of Healthcare Engineering and an ARC North Thames key researcher said:
“It is exciting to see the programme beginning to spread across the regions, and know that more patients experiencing the debilitating symptoms of Long Covid can access supported rehabilitation therapy to help them recover.
Long Covid is a miserable illness, with its fatigue, brain fog, breathlessness and mental health sequelae. These are all a direct result of the virus. But there are tried and tested ways of helping people with these symptoms and Living With Covid Recovery is designed to help clinicians deliver these treatments to large numbers of patients in a supportive fashion. We know that people who are using the digital programme feel supported by their clinicians and are seeing their symptoms improve.”
Living With Covid Recovery is currently supporting patients across Barts Health NHS Trust, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, Solent NHS Trust, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and Isle of Wight NHS Trust. There are plans to roll out more widely soon to meet the growing need for this kind of help.
Respiratory Physiotherapist Hannah Hylton, Barts Health NHS Trust, said:
“The patients discharged often have very diverse needs and symptoms. Living With Covid Recovery is helping us reach out to as many of these in the community as possible to enrol them in the programme and support their recovery. With over 4m infections of COVID-19 in the UK since the pandemic began, there is a great demand for rehabilitation support."
The programme includes tailored advice, treatment plans and suggested exercises through an app for patients. It also supports clinicians with a dashboard to review patient progress and communicate, and a clinical pathway for how to provide safe, remote support.
The treatment is informed by a wide range of clinical expertise including respiratory specialists, physiotherapists, dieticians, psychologists and GPs. The app and dashboard have been developed by Living With, a private digital health company that already delivers a range of remote condition management products across the NHS.
While this is a positive step in beginning to better support people living with Long Covid, it is important to acknowledge that there is much we don’t know and that further research is needed to develop new treatments long-term. The team are continuously learning and listening to patients in order to ensure the recovery programme is as effective and supportive as possible.
Related links
Living with Covid Recovery webpage
ARC North Thames project page: Digitally enabled recovery for Long-Covid
