Background An increasing number of subjects are recovering from COVID-19, raising the need for tools to adequately assess the course of the disease and its impact on functional status. We aimed to... Show moreBackground An increasing number of subjects are recovering from COVID-19, raising the need for tools to adequately assess the course of the disease and its impact on functional status. We aimed to assess the construct validity of the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status (PCFS) Scale among adult subjects with confirmed and presumed COVID-19. Methods Adult subjects with confirmed and presumed COVID-19, who were members of an online panel and two Facebook groups for subjects with COVID-19 with persistent symptoms, completed an online survey after the onset of infection-related symptoms. The number and intensity of symptoms were evaluated with the Utrecht Symptom Diary, health-related quality of life (HrQoL) with the 5-level EQ-5D questionnaire, impairment in work and activities with the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire and functional status with the PCFS Scale. Results 1939 subjects were included in the analyses (85% women, 95% non-hospitalized during infection) about 3 months after the onset of infection-related symptoms. Subjects classified as experiencing 'slight', 'moderate' and 'severe' functional limitations presented a gradual increase in the number/intensity of symptoms, reduction of HrQoL and impairment in work and usual activities. No differences were found regarding the number and intensity of symptoms, HrQoL and impairment in work and usual activities between subjects classified as experiencing 'negligible' and 'no' functional limitations. We found weak-to-strong statistical associations between functional status and all domains of HrQoL (r: 0.233-0.661). Notably, the strongest association found was with the 'usual activities' domain of the 5-level EQ-5D questionnaire. Conclusion We demonstrated the construct validity of the PCFS Scale in highly-symptomatic adult subjects with confirmed and presumed COVID-19, 3 months after the onset of symptoms. Show less
Fischer, M.; Scharloo, M.; Abbink, J.; van't Hul, A.; Ranst, D. van; Rudolphus, A.; ... ; Kaptein, A.A. 2010
Objectives. Although Leventhal's common-sense model (CSM) is proposed to represent a dynamic system, limited research has been conducted to investigate whether and how illness perceptions change.... Show moreObjectives. Although Leventhal's common-sense model (CSM) is proposed to represent a dynamic system, limited research has been conducted to investigate whether and how illness perceptions change. This study tested two hypotheses from the CSM about the dynamics of illness perceptions of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a pulmonary rehabilitation setting. Design and methods. The study employed a longitudinal design. Patients with COPD (N = 87) who took part in a pulmonary rehabilitation programme filled out the Illness Perception Questionnaire - Revised (IPQ-R) before and after treatment and rated the degree to which the rehabilitation had led to the achievement of desired outcomes. Clinical variables and quality of life (Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire) data were obtained from medical records. Results. In line with expectations, results showed that, at baseline, longer time since diagnosis was associated to perceptions corresponding with a chronic illness model (longer illness duration, more experienced consequences, less perceived personal controllability), after correction for clinical variables. After completion of the rehabilitation programme, patients who were more convinced that their participation had led to the achievement of desired outcomes were less concerned about the negative consequences of COPD, had stronger perceptions about the variability in symptoms (cyclical timeline) and had stronger perceptions of personal controllability Conclusions. We conclude that, in accordance with Leventhal et al.'s CSM, coping with an illness is a continuous process and the achievement of desired outcomes during treatment is likely to enable patients to adopt a more positive representation of their illness. Show less
