Cross-sectional online survey of 139 registered physiotherapists (PTs) in British Columbia, Canada (March–August 2024), assessing their capacity, confidence, expertise, and training needs for Long COVID rehabilitation care.
69% of PTs lacked confidence in assessing and managing Long COVID. Only 17% had high expertise in treating fatigue, and just 7% in dyspnea or chest pain. While 45% reported capacity to accommodate Long COVID patients, nearly half needed more training in Long COVID-specific patient education. Prior hands-on experience — not years of practice — was the strongest predictor of both capacity and lower training needs.
- Low response rate (139/2113 contacted; ~6.6%), raising risk of selection bias toward PTs already interested in Long COVID. - Self-reported expertise and confidence are subject to response bias. - Item-level response rates varied widely (44–139), so some subgroup estimates carry wider uncertainty.
Prioritize targeted continuing education for PTs in cardiorespiratory care, energy conservation/pacing for post-exertional malaise, and mental health integration — existing Canadian (CAN-PCC) and WHO guidelines already provide this content but need better dissemination. Interdisciplinary referral pathways and standardized Long COVID protocols are urgently needed to reduce fragmented care.
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