Post-acute COVID-19 condition (PACC): a perspective on collaborative Australian research imperatives and primary health models of care
Emma Tippett A # , Danielle Hitch
B C # * , Louis Irving D and David Watters E F
A Infectious Diseases Unit, Peninsula Health, Frankston, Vic. 3199, Australia.
B Department of Allied Health, Sunshine Hospital, Western Health, St Albans, Vic. 3021, Australia.
C Occupational Therapy and Science, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Geelong, Vic. 3220, Australia.
D Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne Health, Parkville, Vic. 3050, Australia.
E Department of Surgery, University Hospital Geelong, Barwon Health, Geelong, Vic. 3220, Australia.
F School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Vic. 3220, Australia.
Australian Journal of Primary Health 29(4) 293-295 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY22009
Submitted: 1 June 2022 Accepted: 31 October 2022 Published: 12 December 2022
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of La Trobe University. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY)
Abstract
Post-acute COVID-19 condition (PACC) – also known as long COVID – is a serious and growing problem in primary health. This letter describes the work of the Victorian Post-Acute COVID-19 Study (VPACS) group, which comprises clinician researchers, basic scientists and consumers. Two key priorities for PACC research in Australia are identified and discussed: (1) the establishment of COVID-19 patient registries and data linkage; and (2) the consolidation of clinical guidelines. Collaboration between consumers, researchers, clinicians and institutions must be the foundation of PACC management in Australia. Ongoing research should focus on large, multicentre controlled studies, the protective effect of vaccination, differential impacts from variants, pathobiological underpinnings, disease mechanisms to avoid severe and enduring impacts on the Australian economy. The lived experience of people with PACC is also essential to enable the design and implementation of effective models of care. VPACS brings a diverse group of people together to work on a shared vision of holistic and high-quality care, and collectively maximise their impact on outcomes for patients and the broader community.
Keywords: clinical guidelines, collaboration, COVID-19, data linkage, long COVID, models of care, patient registries, post-acute COVID-19 condition, research.
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