Experiences of accessing primary care by those living with long Covid in New Zealand: A qualitative analysis

Abstract

Background Long Covid is the persistence of symptoms beyond 12 weeks following acute Covid-19 infection. It is estimated to affect one in ten people and can be extremely debilitating. With few publicly funded long Covid clinics, most people rely on primary care providers as a first point of contact. There is currently limited understanding of the experience of accessing primary health care by adults living with long Covid in New Zealand. Purpose To explore the experiences of accessing primary health care by adults living with long Covid. Methods A narrative inquiry approach was used to capture participants lived experiences of accessing primary health care. Zoom interviews and discussions were conducted with study participants. The automatically generated transcripts were reviewed and corrected, and the collated data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Results Eighteen people participated in the interviews. Codes were identified and, through an iterative process, themes were generated, reviewed, and named. The seven themes included lack of upskilling of primary care staff; let down by the Government; self-advocacy and its cost; and throwing money at it. Conclusion(s) The picture painted by participants was bleak with a sense that the world had moved on from Covid-19 and left them behind, with some experiencing a lack of support in primary health care. Reducing the likely long-term health and economic burden of long Covid requires targeted investment and action by Government at every level, along with better utilisation of the allied health workforce in primary care.