Desenvolvimento e validação de um questionário para avaliação dos aspectos clínicos da COVID longa na atenção primária em saúde

Abstract

COVID-19 is a respiratory infection caused by SARS-CoV-2, which can result in persistent symptoms for weeks or months after the acute period. Lack of standardization makes it challenging to manage long COVID in primary care. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a research instrument to characterize long COVID in primary care. The questionnaire development was carried out using a concept matrix, mapping symptom coverage from international systematic and longitudinal review studies, where 26 symptoms were selected. Content validity was assessed through questionnaires applied to 9 healthcare professionals, while questionnaire reproducibility and validity were evaluated using the test-retest method on 37 individuals. The content validity index was calculated for each item in the instrument, and Cohen's Kappa coefficient was used to estimate the agreement between test and retest responses. The content validity index for symptoms was considered high, with 58.4% of items evaluated as excellent or good. The study population consisted of 23 women and 14 men, with the majority classified as mixed race or Black. All participants tested positive for COVID-19, and 97.3% had received at least one dose of the vaccine. The internal consistency of the questionnaire used to assess symptoms was excellent, with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.873. Test-retest agreement ranged from fair to excellent, with high percentages of agreement observed. In conclusion, the study provides valuable information about COVID-19 symptoms, their validity, and the reproducibility of their assessment.