APTA Cross Sections and Academies Recommendations for COVID-19 Core Outcome Measures

Purpose: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged as a major health concern within the United States in early 2020. Because this is a novel virus, little guidance exists for best practice to evaluate this population within the field of physical therapy. Methods: An expert task force appointed by the leadership of 9 different academies or sections of the American Physical Therapy Association was formed to develop recommendations for a set of core outcome measures for individuals with or recovering from COVID-19. Results: This perspective provides guidance on a best practice recommendation to physical therapists and researchers regarding the use of core outcome measures for individuals with or recovering from COVID-19. The process for the selection of core measures for this population is presented and discussed. Conclusions: Core outcome measures improve the ability to track progress and change across the continuum of care at both the patient and population levels.