Leila Karimi’s article, “Between Silence and Solutions: A Global Guideline Review of Long COVID Care and Services in Australia,” has been published in the international peer-reviewed journal BMC Health Services Research, published by Springer Nature.
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Leila Karimi, PhD in Psychology and Public Health, is a Professor at the Caucasus School of Medicine, Caucasus University, and RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.
Citation:
Shiqi Luo, Zhen Zheng, Leila Karimi, Magdalena Plebanski, et al. (2026). Between silence and solutions: a global guideline review of long COVID care and services in Australia. BMC Health Services Research. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-14268-w
According to the SCImago Journal Ranking (SJR), BMC Health Services Research is classified as a Q1 journal. It is also indexed in Scopus by Elsevier and has a CiteScore of 5.5.
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Abstract
As the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic has ended and healthcare systems have shifted toward long-term management, the lasting consequences of infection have become increasingly evident. Long COVID remains a major challenge for healthcare systems, as many healthcare professionals still lack clear guidance on how to assess patients and refer them to appropriate specialists. This study examines recent international guidelines in order to identify gaps between existing recommendations and real-world practice.
International guidelines emphasize integrated approaches grounded in primary care. In Australia, however, service delivery remains fragmented. The number of private services led by primary care providers is increasing, and these services largely operate under a fee-for-service model, which significantly limits access to care.
In response to these challenges, it is essential to move toward a patient-centered model based on collaboration between doctors and patients. This shift is necessary to prepare healthcare systems to manage both Long COVID and future complex, multisystem conditions more effectively.
