Evaluation of the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status Scale Based on Its Use During a One-Year Follow-Up of COVID-19 Survivors

Since the introduction of the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status (PCFS) scale early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the scale has been incorporated in research and clinical guidelines to assess and monitor functional status. In this explorative study, we aimed to evaluate characteristics of the PCFS scale based on its use during a 12-month follow-up of COVID-19 survivors to increase understanding of the scale over a longer period of time. Adult COVID-19 patients who were evaluated by multidisciplinary measures at 6 weeks and 12 months post-discharge at the Leiden University Medical Center (The Netherlands) were included. The distribution of PCFS scale grades, as well as descriptive patterns between PCFS grades and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), pulmonary function and physical function were evaluated with descriptive analyses; no statistical tests were performed due to data availability. Of the 79 included patients, 62% had a change in PCFS grade between the 6-week and 12-month follow-ups, of whom 63% improved over time. At 12 months, abnormal PROMs regarding psychological symptoms (according to clinical cut-offs), relatively lower quality of life (EQ VAS) scores, and MRC dyspnea grades ≥ 2 were observed in patients scoring PCFS grade ≥ 2. With increasing PCFS grade, a decrease in pulmonary function and physical function outcomes was observed. Higher PCFS grades (worse functional status) seemed related to worse outcomes at 12-month follow-up. Future studies are needed to investigate whether changes in PCFS grade reflect clinically relevant changes in patients’ self-perceived functioning.