Early Hospital Discharge Using Remote Monitoring for Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19, Regardless of Need for Home Oxygen Therapy: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Aim: Since beds are unavailable, we prospectively investigated whether early hospital discharge will be safe and useful in patients hospitalized for COVID-19, regardless of their need for home oxygen therapy. Population and Methods: Extending the initial inclusion criteria, 62 patients were included and 51 benefited from home telemonitoring, mainly assessing clinical parameters (blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, dyspnea, temperature) and peripheral saturation (SpO2) at follow-up. Results: 47% of the patients were older than 65 years; 63% needed home oxygen therapy and/or presented with more than one comorbidity. At home, the mean time to dyspnea and tachypnea resolutions ranged from 21 to 24 days. The mean oxygen-weaning duration was 13.3 ± 10.4 days, and the mean SpO2 was 95.7 ± 1.6%. The nurses and/or doctors managed 1238 alerts. Two re-hospitalizations were required, related to transient chest pain or pulmonary embolism, but no death occurred. Patient satisfaction was good, and 743 potential days of hospitalization were saved for other patients. Conclusion: The remote monitoring of vital parameters and symptoms is safe, allowing for early hospital discharge in patients hospitalized for COVID-19, whether or not home oxygen therapy was required. Oxygen tapering outside the hospital allowed for a greater reduction in hospital stay. Randomized controlled trials are necessary to confirm this beneficial effect.