A new project by researchers at the University of Tasmania's Menzies Institute for Medical Research will deliver a care model for Long COVID that aims to improve health outcomes and enhance quality of life - while easing pressure on the healthcare system.
COVID-19 is best known as a respiratory illness, but it can also cause serious and lasting damage to the heart.
Many people who recover from the initial infection continue to experience breathlessness, fatigue, and heart inflammation for months afterwards. These ongoing problems-known as Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC or "Long COVID")-are now recognised as a major health challenge.
A team from the Institute will be launching PERCEIVE-Outreach, a new national project to create a scalable, risk-based care model for Long COVID.
To ensure it can meet real-world needs, this project will be fully remote and co-designed with patients, clinicians, and health services. A large trial will evaluate its effectiveness, feasibility, and sustainability across Australia.
Lead researcher, Associate Professor Quan Huynh said Long COVID is a complex condition that can leave people struggling for months or even years.
"This project has the potential to deliver effective, personalised heart and rehabilitation care to people with Long COVID, no matter where they live," said Associate Professor Huynh.
"It brings together strong clinical evidence, patient partnership, and digital innovation to create a model of care that could transform recovery for thousands of Australians."
The project aims to reduce hospitalisations, improve quality of life, and deliver strong returns on investment for health services by maximising resource efficiency.
Researchers at the Institute have already shown that targeted care can make a difference. In a previous clinical trial, the team tested a multidisciplinary program combining personalised exercise training with medical management of heart health and risk factors.
The results from this trial found patients who took part in the program showed significant improvements in fitness and physical function, compared to those who did not.
"This national study is informed by the original PERCEIVE trial, which tested a multidisciplinary program combining personalised exercise training with medical management of heart health and risk factors. That experience has shown that careful participant selection can identify a group who are able to undertake this type of intervention," said A/Prof Huynh
"Our research shows that targeted, multidisciplinary care is feasible for people with Long COVID-and now we want to make it available to more Australians in a way that is practical and cost-effective."
Why it matters:
Long COVID affects millions of people worldwide and can lead to ongoing disability, hospitalisations, and reduced quality of life. By delivering care remotely and focusing on those most at risk, PERCEIVE-Outreach aims to reduce complications, improve health outcomes, and ease pressure on the healthcare system.
Key features of the project:
- Co-design and scaling: Working with patients, clinicians, and health services to adapt and refine the intervention for national rollout.
- Risk-based approach: Using a novel algorithm to identify patients most at risk of physical and cardiac dysfunction.
- Remote delivery: Making care accessible to people wherever they live.
- Rigorous evaluation: Conducting a randomised controlled trial to test effectiveness and sustainability.
The funding for this project has been received from the Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund, with an Emerging Priority and Consumer Driven Research Initiative grant.
