How do people with post-COVID syndrome in Germany experience healthcare and information provision? A qualitative interview study

OBJECTIVE: To determine how people with post-COVID syndrome in Germany experience medical care and what healthcare problems they see in relation to post-COVID. DESIGN: Semistructured interviews with a topic guide; audio-recording, transcription and analysis in terms of content. SETTING: 13 digital interviews and one face-to-face meeting between April and June 2024. PARTICIPANTS: 14 German people with post-COVID syndrome (10 female; 4 male). RESULTS: The experiences of the study participants in the care of their post-COVID symptoms were heterogeneous and suggested the continued, at least partially persisting, presence of problems in Germany that have already been addressed in the past. While other studies focus primarily on structural hurdles, our study provides indications that the interactions between healthcare professionals and patients may be important for their satisfaction with care. In particular, physician initiative, education and communication appear to play central roles. In addition, respondents often felt inadequately informed and reported problems with obtaining information. The level of knowledge about the disease in society as a whole has also been frequently criticised. CONCLUSIONS: Doctor-patient interaction may be a critical factor in improving the care of post-COVID patients, with both supportive and problematic experiences indicating that empathic communication and transparent education can play an important role in reducing miscommunication and perceived stigma. In addition, people with post-COVID syndrome appear to need easier access to disease-specific information, which might be facilitated by expanded digital resources and additional dedicated support information services.