AAPM&R will provide consistent updates on our advocacy outreach efforts, the Multi-Disciplinary PASC Collaborative and other relevant information to our Long COVID initiative.
Making PM&R Essential, Now and in the Future: COVID-19 Rehabilitation
AAPM&R's Multi-Disciplinary Long COVID/PASC Collaborative met yesterday to discuss the final round of voting for cognitive impairment and the first round of voting for the breathing statements. Discussions are taking place to determine which areas need to be tackled next. PM&R physicians are uniquely qualified to help guide the multidisciplinary effort needed to develop a plan for this crisis.
Our advocacy sign-on statement continues to gain support with more than 80 signatures! The statement is being shared with federal offices to demonstrate the vast support for the national crisis plan on Long COVID. We encourage organizations to sign on to this important initiative. Please ask your organizations to join!
AAPM&R Applauds New CDC Guidelines on Caring for Patients with Long COVID
On June 14, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) posted its interim guidance for healthcare professionals evaluating and caring for patients with post-COVID conditions. This document provides background information, general considerations for clinical evaluation of patients with post-COVID conditions, suggested workup, management, clinical care and public health recommendations as well as future directions for post-COVID conditions. We are pleased to share that the CDC referenced AAPM&R's functional assessment and our Long COVID resources in their tools and resources section, and acknowledged our Academy Past President Kathleen Bell, MD, FAAPMR, as one of their post-COVID condition experts. We issued a press release yesterday supporting this guidance and are continuing to call for a comprehensive national response to Long COVID. Learn more about our efforts.