{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,5]],"date-time":"2026-11-05T07:14:00Z","timestamp":1793862840618,"version":"4.6.1"},"reference-count":13,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]],"date-time":"2025-01-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1738108800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":28,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000664","name":"Health Technology Assessment Programme","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["NIHR132046"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NIHR132046"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000664","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,29]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>This qualitative evaluation was embedded in the Rehabilitation Exercise and psycholoGical support After COVID-19 InfectioN (REGAIN) study, a randomised controlled trial (RCT) for those with post-COVID-19 condition (\u2018long COVID\u2019) after hospital admission for COVID-19, comparing weekly home-based, live online supervised group exercise and psychological support sessions with \u2018best practice usual care\u2019 (a single session of advice).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title><jats:p>To increase our understanding of how and why the REGAIN programme might have worked and what helped or hindered this intervention.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Design<\/jats:title><jats:p>A qualitative evaluation which utilised interviews with participants and practitioners delivering the intervention. Framework and thematic analysis were used to analyse the findings.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Setting<\/jats:title><jats:p>England and Wales, UK.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Participants<\/jats:title><jats:p>Adults discharged from National Health Service (NHS) hospitals at least 3\u2009months previously after COVID-19, with ongoing physical and\/or mental health sequelae.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Twenty intervention participants, 20 control participants and five practitioners were interviewed.<\/jats:p><jats:p>The themes from the group support sessions were: (1) you are not alone; (2) sharing experiences and addressing worries; (3) gaining new perspectives; (4) hope for progression; (5) peer support and bonding; (6) integration of facilitation skills; (7) modified activity pacing and goal setting, and (8) giving participants structure. The themes from group exercise were: (1) monitoring and modification of the online exercise; (2) catering for differing abilities; (3) feeling safe and confident to exercise; (4) progression of fitness; (5) optimal timing in the recovery trajectory; (6) group effect; (7) initial apprehension about exercise group; (8) gauging exercise capabilities; (9) translating exercises into life; and (10) on-demand supplementary videos. The 1:1 consultation sessions revealed patients needed to tell their stories.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Being listened to and being understood by someone \u2018who got it\u2019 was very important to people with post-COVID-19 condition. The group sessions of both exercise and psychological support were valued by participants, working together, and learning from each other in the face of a new disease within a global pandemic.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2024-085950","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]],"date-time":"2025-01-29T13:41:15Z","timestamp":1738158075000},"page":"e085950","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Qualitative evaluation of the Rehabilitation Exercise and psycholoGical support After COVID-19 InfectioN (REGAIN) randomised controlled trial (RCT): \u2018you are not alone\u2019"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7921-552X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kate","family":"Seers","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3372-1395","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vivien P","family":"Nichols","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8462-7999","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Julie","family":"Bruce","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7176-6252","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stuart","family":"Ennis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peter","family":"Heine","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0726-4888","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shilpa","family":"Patel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1522-8078","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Harbinder Kaur","family":"Sandhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0309-1708","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martin","family":"Underwood","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8963-9107","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gordon","family":"McGregor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025031814194435000_15.1.e085950.1","unstructured":"Gov.UK . 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