The Value of the COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale in the Assessment of Post-COVID among Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities

Abstract

The COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19-YRS) is a patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess the long-term effects of COVID-19. The scale was validated and is commonly used in the general population. In this study, we assess the utility of the C19-YRS in evaluating the post-COVID burden among residents of long-term care facilities with a mean age of 79. C19-YRS and Barthel index evaluations were performed among 144 residents of long-term care facilities reporting new or worsened symptoms or functioning three months after convalescence from COVID-19. The C19-YRS-based screening showed that 70.9% of COVID-19 convalescents had ≥1 complaint three months after recovery. The highest C19-YRS-scored symptoms (indicating a higher burden) were breathlessness, fatigue, and cognitive and continence problems; however, symptomatology was very heterogeneous, revealing a high complexity of the disease in older persons. The mean total C19-YRS score was higher in hospitalized patients (n = 78) than in the outpatient group (n = 66) (p = 0.02). The functioning subscale of the C19-YRS strongly correlated with the Barthel index, with r = −0.8001 (p < 0.0001). A moderately strong correlation existed between retrospectively reported C19-YRS-based functioning and the Barthel index score reported before illness (r = 0.7783, p < 0.0001). The C19-YRS is instrumental in evaluating the consequences of COVID-19 among long-term-care residents. The assessment allows for a broad understanding of rehabilitation needs.

Long COVID Clinical Severity Types Based on Symptoms and Functional Disability: A Longitudinal Evaluation

“…The C19-YRS (COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale) was the literature's first published and validated PROM for LC [7], and it has been recommended by both NICE and NHS England [8]. The scale has been used in several LC studies which have indicated support for the content and construct validity, as well as the responsiveness of the scale to reliably capture persistent symptoms [9][10][11][12]. C19-YRS gives scores in three domains: symptom severity (SS), functional disability (FD), and overall health (OH).…”