TY  - JOUR
AU  - Rathgeb, Chiara
AU  - Pawellek, Maja
AU  - Behrends, Uta
AU  - Alberer, Martin
AU  - Kabesch, Michael
AU  - Gerling, Stephan
AU  - Brandstetter, Susanne
AU  - Apfelbacher, Christian
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/4/11
TI  - The Evaluation of Health Care Services for Children and Adolescents With Post–COVID-19 Condition: Protocol for a Prospective Longitudinal Study
JO  - JMIR Res Protoc
SP  - e41010
VL  - 12
KW  - post-COVID
KW  - long COVID
KW  - post–COVID-19 condition
KW  - PCC
KW  - post–COVID-19 syndrome
KW  - PCS
KW  - CFS/ME
KW  - children and adolescents
KW  - health care services
KW  - EQ-5D
KW  - SDQ
KW  - PROMIS
KW  - DSQ-PEM
KW  - COVID-19
KW  - pediatrics
KW  - child
KW  - adolescent
KW  - service delivery
KW  - healthcare delivery
KW  - healthcare service
KW  - care network
KW  - healthcare
KW  - therapeutic service
KW  - healthcare utilization
KW  - patient reported outcome
AB  - Background: Some children and adolescents suffer from late effects of a SARS-CoV-2 infection despite a frequently mild course of the disease. Nevertheless, extensive care for post–COVID-19 condition, also known as post–COVID-19 syndrome, in children and young people is not yet available. A comprehensive care network, Post-COVID Kids Bavaria (PoCo), for children and adolescents with post–COVID-19 condition has been set up as a model project in Bavaria, Germany. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the health care services provided within this network structure of care for children and adolescents with post–COVID-19 condition in a pre-post study design. Methods: We have already recruited 117 children and adolescents aged up to 17 years with post–COVID-19 condition who were diagnosed and treated in 16 participating outpatient clinics. Health care use, treatment satisfaction, patient-reported outcomes related to health-related quality of life (the primary endpoint), fatigue, postexertional malaise, and mental health are being assessed at different time points (at baseline and after 4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months) using routine data, interviews, and self-report questionnaires. Results: The study recruitment process ran from April 2022 until December 2022. Interim analyses will be carried out. A full analysis of the data will be conducted after follow-up assessment is completed, and the results will be published. Conclusions: The results will contribute to the evaluation of therapeutic services provided for post–COVID-19 condition in children and adolescents, and avenues for optimizing care may be identified. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/41010 
SN  - 1929-0748
UR  - https://www.researchprotocols.org/2023/1/e41010
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/41010
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36867709
DO  - 10.2196/41010
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/41010
ER  -