Implementation and impact on length of stay of a post-discharge remote patient monitoring program for acutely hospitalized COVID-19 pneumonia patients

Escalation Pathways of Remote Patient Monitoring Programs for COVID-19 Patients in Canada and the United States: A Rapid Review

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals in North America were overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients and had limited capacity to admit patients. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) programs were developed to monitor COVID-19 patients at home and reduce disease transmission and the demand on hospitals. A critical component of RPM programs is effective escalation pathways. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the implementation of escalation pathways of RPM programs for COVID-19 patients in Canada and the United States. Methods: The search identified 563 articles from Embase, PubMed, and Scopus. Following title and abstract screening, 131 were selected for full-text review, and 26 articles were included. Data were extracted on study location, patient eligibility and program size, data collection, monitoring team, escalation criteria, and escalation response. Results: The included studies were published between 2020 and 2022; 3 in Canada and 23 in the United States. The RPM programs collected physiological vital signs and symptom data, which were inputted manually by patients and health care workers or synced automatically. Escalations were triggered automatically or following manual review by nurses and physicians when signs and symptoms were concerning or reached a specific threshold. Escalations included emergency department referrals, physician appointments, and increased monitoring. Conclusion: Many decisions are required when designing RPM escalation pathways for patients with COVID-19, which is crucial to promptly address patients' changing health statuses and clinical needs. Future research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of escalation pathways for COVID-19 patients through performance metrics and patient and health care worker experience.

Post-Hospitalization Home Monitoring Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Survey Results from the Hospital Medicine Re-engineering Network (HOMERuN)

BACKGROUND

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, hospitals and healthcare systems launched innovative responses to emerging needs. The creation and use of programs to remotely follow patient clinical status and recovery after COVID-19 hospitalization has not been thoroughly described.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize deployment of remote post-hospital discharge monitoring programs during the COVID-19 pandemic METHODS: Electronic surveys were administered to leaders of 83 US academic hospitals in the Hospital Medicine Re-engineering Network (HOMERuN). An initial survey was completed in March 2021 with follow-up survey completed in July 2022.

RESULTS

There were 35 responses to the initial survey (42%) and 15 responses to the follow-up survey (43%). Twenty-two (63%) sites reported a post-discharge monitoring program, 16 of which were newly developed for COVID-19. Physiologic monitoring devices such as pulse oximeters were often provided. Communication with medical teams was often via telephone, with moderate use of apps or electronic medical record integration. Programs launched most commonly between January and June 2020. Only three programs were still active at the time of follow-up survey.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrate rapid, ad hoc development of post-hospital discharge monitoring programs during the COVID-19 pandemic but with little standardization or evaluation. Additional study could identify the benefits of these programs, instruct their potential application to other disease processes, and inform further development as part of emergency preparedness for upcoming crises.

Implementation of Inpatient Electronic Consultations During the COVID-19 Crisis and Its Sustainability Beyond the Pandemic: Quality Improvement Study

BACKGROUND

Limiting in-person contact was a key strategy for controlling the spread of the highly infectious novel coronavirus (COVID-19). To protect patients and staff from the risk of infection while providing continued access to necessary health care services, we implemented a new electronic consultation (e-consult) service that allowed referring providers to receive subspecialty consultations for patients who are hospitalized and do not require in-person evaluation by the specialist.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to assess the impact of implementing e-consults in the inpatient setting to reduce avoidable face-to-face referrals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

This quality improvement study evaluated all inpatient e-consults ordered from July 2020 to December 2022 at the University of California Irvine Medical Center. The impact of e-consults was assessed by evaluating use (eg, number of e-consults ordered), e-consult response times, and outcome of the e-consult requests (eg, resolved electronically or converted to the in-person evaluation of patient).

RESULTS

There were 1543 inpatient e-consults ordered across 11 participating specialties. A total of 53.5% (n=826) of requests were addressed electronically, without the need for a formal in-person evaluation of the patient. The median time between ordering an e-consult and a specialist documenting recommendations in an e-consult note was 3.7 (IQR 1.3-8.2) hours across all specialties, contrasted with 7.3 (IQR 3.6-22.0) hours when converted to an in-person consult (P<.001). The monthly volume of e-consult requests increased, coinciding with surges of COVID-19 cases in California. After the peaks of the COVID-19 crisis subsided, the use of inpatient e-consults persisted at a rate well above the precrisis levels.

CONCLUSIONS

An inpatient e-consult service was successfully implemented, resulting in fewer unnecessary face-to-face consultations and significant reductions in the response times for consults requested on patients who are hospitalized and do not require an in-person evaluation. Thus, e-consults provided timely, efficient delivery of inpatient consultation services for appropriate problems while minimizing the risk of direct transmission of the COVID-19 virus between health care providers and patients. The service also demonstrated its value as a tool for effective inpatient care coordination beyond the peaks of the pandemic leading to the sustainability of service and value.

Transition of care interventions to manage severe COVID-19 in the ambulatory setting: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Severe COVID-19, with the need in supplemental oxygen and hospitalization, leads to major burden on patients and healthcare systems. As a result, safe and effective ambulatory treatment strategies for severe COVID-19 are of urgent need. In this systematic review, we aimed to evaluate interventions to transition care to the ambulatory setting for patients with active severe COVID-19 that required supplemental oxygen.

METHODS

We searched Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and DOAJ databases to identify articles with original data published until the 1st of April 2023. Characteristics and outcomes of interventions to transition care to home management were reviewed. Given the heterogeneous settings and outcomes studied, a meta-analysis was not performed.

RESULTS

Of the 235 studies identified, 11 observational studies, with 2645 patients, were included. The interventions were initiated from the emergency department, observation units or inpatient units, and included continuous home telemonitoring (n = 8), mobile applications (n = 2), and patient-initiated medical contact (n = 3). Included patients had an overall short length of hospital stay, high readmission rates, and positive patients' feedback. There was a lack of prospective controlled data and cost-effectiveness analyses.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight the potential in treating severe COVID-19 at the ambulatory setting and the lack of high-quality data in this field. Dedicated medical teams, adjusted monitoring methods, improving clinical trajectory, and correct inclusion settings are needed for safe and effective transition of care.

Rapid implementation of home oxygen treatment and remote monitoring for COVID-19 patients at the verge of the Omicron wave in Turku, Finland

BACKGROUND

In Turku, Finland, we introduced a home oxygen treatment and app-based monitoring program for hospitalized COVID-19 patients to facilitate an early discharge during the Omicron wave. In this case series we explore the clinical parameters of patients enrolled in the program and evaluate the cost-benefit and safety issues of the program.

METHODS

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with marked hypoxemia but otherwise in stable condition were screened from Turku City Hospital and Turku University Hospital by treating doctors for eligibility in the program. Peripheral oxygen saturation of > 92% and breathing frequency < 30/min in rest with oxygen supplementation were among the criteria. All patients actively participating in the program between 10th of January 2022 and 30th of September 2022 were included in this case series. Clinical data of hospitalization and monitoring were analysed, and cost-benefit evaluation was based on the number of saved hospitalization days.

RESULTS

Nineteen COVID-19 patients were included in this case series and recruited from three different hospital departments in the Turku city region, South-West Finland. All patients were male, the median age was 59 years and the median duration of hospitalization before enrolment in the program was 6 days (range 3-20 days). The median duration of home oxygen treatment was 13 days (range 3-72 days) and the median duration of home monitoring was 18 days (range 7-41 days). A total of 210,5 hospital days were prevented, resulting in savings of €144,490 of healthcare expenditure (on average 9 days and €7,605 per patient). No major safety issues were reported during the program.

CONCLUSIONS

In our case series, home oxygen treatment combined with home monitoring was safe and economically beneficial. Application based monitoring could be considered in other post-acute pulmonary conditions to reduce hospitalization and healthcare costs.

Characterising consumer engagement in virtual models of care: A systematic review and narrative synthesis

BACKGROUND

Widespread adoption of digital tools and technologies now support the delivery of virtual healthcare. Although, consumer engagement is central to care processes in virtual care models, there is paucity of evidence regarding the nature and outcomes of consumer engagement. This study aimed to determine the nature of consumer engagement used in virtual models of care, and its impact on quality and safety of care.

METHODS

A systematic review was undertaken with a narrative synthesis, with a search strategy applied to five electronic databases (CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science) RESULTS: Fifty-eight studies were included in the review that utilised a variety of virtual models of care across care services. Consumer engagement, such as patients' active involvement in monitoring, capturing and reporting their health data, was a common feature of the identified virtual models.

CONCLUSION

Increasing use of virtual models of care requires consideration of the role of patients and their support persons in the use of technology and in wider care processes that occur at a distance from health professionals. Ensuring consumers are equipped with necessary support to effectively engage in virtual care is important to ensure equity in access to, and outcomes of, virtual care models.

Postdischarge Video Visits for Adherence to Hospital Discharge Recommendations: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective

To determine whether a postdischarge video visit with patients, conducted by hospital medicine advanced practice providers, improves adherence to hospital discharge recommendations.

Patients and Methods

We conducted a single-institution 2-site randomized clinical trial with 1:1 assignment to intervention vs control, with enrollment from August 10, 2020, to June 23, 2022. Hospital medicine patients discharged home or to an assisted living facility were randomized to a video visit 2-5 days postdischarge in addition to usual care (intervention) vs usual care (control). During the video visit, advanced practice providers reviewed discharge recommendations. Both intervention and control groups received telephone follow-up 3-6 days postdischarge to ascertain the primary outcome of adherence to all discharge recommendations for new and chronic medication management, self-management and action plan, and home support.

Results

Among 1190 participants (594 intervention; 596 control), the primary outcome was ascertained in 768 participants (314 intervention; 454 control). In intervention vs control, there was no difference in the proportion of participants with the primary outcome (76.7% vs 72.5%; P=.19) or in the individual domains of the primary outcome: new and chronic medication management (94.1% vs 92.8%; P=.50), self-management and action plan (76.5% vs 71.5%; P=.18), and home support (94.1% vs 94.3%; P=.94). Women receiving intervention vs control had higher adherence to recommendations (odds ratio, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.08-2.91).

Conclusion

In hospital medicine patients, a postdischarge video visit did not improve adherence to discharge recommendations. Potential gender differences in adherence require further investigation.Clinicaltrials.gov number, NCT04547803.

Remote patient monitoring for COVID-19 patients: comparisons and framework for reporting

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 has challenged health services throughout the world in terms of hospital capacity and put staff and vulnerable populations at risk of infection. In the face of these challenges, many health providers have implemented remote patient monitoring (RPM) of COVID-19 patients in their own homes. However systematic reviews of the literature on these implementations have revealed wide variations in how RPM is implemented; along with variations in particulars of RPM reported on, making comparison and evaluation difficult. A review of reported items is warranted to develop a framework of key items to enhance reporting consistency. The aims of this review of remote monitoring for COVID-19 patients are twofold: (1) to facilitate comparison between RPM implementations by tabulating information and values under common domains. (2) to develop a reporting framework to enhance reporting consistency.

METHOD

A review of the literature for RPM for COVID-19 patients was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. The Medline database was searched for articles published between 2020 to February 2023 and studies reporting on items with sufficient detail to compare one with another were included. Relevant data was extracted and synthesized by the lead author. Quality appraisal was not conducted as the the articles considered were evaluated as informational reports of clinical implementations rather than as studies designed to answer a research question.

RESULTS

From 305 studies retrieved, 23 studies were included in the review: fourteen from the US, two from the UK and one each from Africa, Ireland, China, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and Italy. Sixteen generally reported items were identified, shown with the percentage of studies reporting in brackets: Reporting Period (82%), Rationale (100%), Patients (100%), Medical Team (91%) Provider / Infrastructure (91%), Communications Platform (100%), Patient Equipment (100%), Training (48%), Markers (96%), Frequency of prompt / Input (96%),Thresholds (82%), Discharge (61%), Enrolled (96%), Alerts/Escalated (78%), Patient acceptance (43%), and Patient Adherence (52%). Whilst some studies reported on patient training and acceptance, just one reported on staff training and none on staff acceptance.

CONCLUSIONS

Variations in reported items were found. Pending the establishment of a robust set of reporting guidelines, we propose a reporting framework consisting of eighteen reporting items under the following four domains: Context, Technology, Process and Metrics.

Starting Home Telemonitoring and Oxygen Therapy Directly after Emergency Department Assessment Appears to Be Safe in COVID-19 Patients

BACKGROUND

Since data on the safety and effectiveness of home telemonitoring and oxygen therapy started directly after Emergency Department (ED) assessment in COVID-19 patients are sparse but could have many advantages, we evaluated these parameters in this study.

METHODS

All COVID-19 patients ≥18 years eligible for receiving home telemonitoring (November 2020-February 2022, Albert Schweitzer hospital, the Netherlands) were included: patients started directly after ED assessment (ED group) or after hospital admission (admission group). Safety (number of ED reassessments and hospital readmissions) and effectiveness (number of phone calls, duration of oxygen usage and home telemonitoring) were described in both groups.

RESULTS

278 patients were included (n = 65 ED group, n = 213 admission group). ED group: 23.8% (n = 15) was reassessed, 15.9% (n = 10) was admitted and 7.7% (n = 5) ICU admitted. Admission group: 15.8% (n = 37) was reassessed, 6.5% (n = 14) was readmitted and 2.4% (n = 5) ICU (re)admitted. Ten patients died, of whom 7 due to COVID-19 (1 in ED group; 6 in the admission group). ED group: median duration of oxygen therapy was 9 (IQR 7-13) days; the total duration of home telemonitoring was 14 (IQR 9-18) days. Admission group: duration of oxygen therapy was 10 (IQR 6-16) days; total duration of home telemonitoring was 14 (IQR 10-20) days.

CONCLUSION

it appears to be safe to start home telemonitoring and oxygen therapy directly after ED assessment.