Assessment of quality of life in follow-up patients with COVID-19 pneumonia: A prospective, observational study from a tertiary care center.

Background: This study intended to assess the quality of life (QOL) with telephonic interview using the Short Form 12 (SF-12) Scale in follow-up patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Methods: This prospective, noninterventional follow-up study was conducted at a tertiary care center. COVID-19 pneumonia patients discharged from ICU were recruited for telephonic interviews. Interviews were performed using SF-12 Scale to assess QOL 6 months after discharge. The SF-12 survey measures general health status in eight domains. A radar chart was used for the interpretation of health component scores.

Results: One hundred and fifty patients could complete the telephonic interview. The first-stage depression risk was 50%, which was 30% more than general position incidence (20%). As compared to the general population, physical component summary (PCS-12) was 60% below and mental component summary (MCS-12) was 67% below the general norm. Role emotional was the most affected followed by role physical.

Conclusions: QOL in follow-up ICU patients with COVID-19 pneumonia was worse in terms of physical and mental scores. By employing a comprehensive, longitudinal assessment of QOL in follow-up patients, using validated SF-12 Scale, this study captures a multifaceted view of their health status postrecovery.