The Pitt IMProving Access to Culturally relevant long COVID care and Treatment (IMPACCT) Program

PROJECT ABSTRACT Long COVID encompasses a wide range of persistent symptoms and complications that impair quality of life and functioning of affected individuals. Few disease-specific treatment options are available, and evidence- based guidelines and comprehensive care models are lacking. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Long COVID clinic has developed a personalized strategy to address the wide variation in present- ation within the over 1,100 patients evaluated to date, yet many long COVID patients in our region lack access to providers with knowledge to diagnose, evaluate, and treat long COVID. To address this need, we will partner with UPMC Family Medicine Academic Clinic Practice and the Black Equity Coalition (BEC) to establish the Pitt IMProving Access to Culturally relevant long COVID care and Treatment (IMPACCT) Program in order to train the next generation of community providers in long COVID care and improve access to primary and specialty care for long COVID patients from underserved and rural populations. In Aim 1, we will expand healthcare provider capacity through the development of comprehensive, culturally informed educational materials and targeted outreach programs including developing diagnostic and treatment algorithms for major symptom clusters and introducing in-person lectures and web-based learning modules. Aim 2 provides expanded and equitable access to specialized long COVID care by establishing pathways for clinician-to-clinician e-consults and patient telemedicine or in-person visits in the Long COVID clinic, establishing point-of-care pulmonary function testing in each office, maximizing patient experience with a dedicated patient navigator and funds for travel to the clinic, facilitating telemedicine, and expanding our learning health care system for rapid review and implementation of emerging long COVID therapies. Aim 3 empowers long COVID patients by establishing a dedicated support group, a knowledge-sharing platform for community engagement and education, and providing patient resources for self-management. Finally, Aim 4 creates a comprehensive evaluation approach to monitor the effectiveness of the IMPACCT program, track patient outcomes, and identify areas for improvement. We anticipate that this four-pronged approach will lead to improved recognition, diagnosis, and management of long COVID, especially among underserved populations. All programs will be developed in partnership with the BEC, a Black-led group of physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, public health experts, community funders, and government officials, who will provide input on culturally relevant care and social determinants of health to ensure an equitable approach in care, as well as assistance with patient education and public relations. By uniting a multi-disciplinary group of investigators with expertise in long COVID care, healthcare delivery, implementation science, and evaluation strategies with community and academic organizations with a history of engagement of minority and underserved populations, this project will offer an innovative model to address health inequities and improve patient outcomes in our community and beyond.