Health Care : Current Reviews

Covid-19 remote monitoring programme

6^th World Summit on Neonatal Nursing and Health Care & 7^th Global Conference on Nursing and Healthcare

APRIL 19, 2022 | Joint Webinar

Michelle Angeli Uno

RCSI Hospital Group, Ireland

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: HCCR

Abstract:

The covid-19 Remote Monitoring (RM) program was developed as a response to the increased demands on the acute care services, to provide a supported discharge option to the patients with covid-19 who can be safely managed at home with additional home monitoring. Patient Mpower smartphone application for covid-19 links to a portable pulse oximeter and is used to monitor oxygen saturation, pulse rate, breathlessness, and other symptoms. Information captured in the application is immediately available to the RM team via a secured patient data portal. RM team can make an appropriate decision about the ongoing care of patients being monitored at home. This program aims to facilitate early discharge from the hospital reducing the length of stay of covid-19 patients, avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions and identifying patient deterioration at an earlier stage reducing the need for ICU admissions. The program provides supported discharge to ensure patients are improving after discharge from the hospital and identifies those at risk of deterioration who require escalation of care and a fast track to the Respiratory team for those requiring readmission. The PDSA cycle from the Model of Improvement was used to develop this project. Between April 2020 and the end of December 2021, a total of 386 patients were enrolled in the program, 157,901 bed days were saved and a total of 39 patients were readmitted to the hospital via a fast track to the Respiratory team. The development of the program is integral in reducing the length of stay of covid-19 patients in the hospital and in identifying patients who are at risk of deterioration requiring escalation of care. RM receives referrals from inpatient wards, ED, and hospital Staff hub, with pathways for referral established. Remote Monitoring is an effective service in controlling hospital capacity when there is an increase in COVID-19 patients presenting to the hospital. It enables patients recovering from covid-19 to recuperate in their own homes, with support from the healthcare team. Recognition of early deterioration at home and escalation of care through the establishment of Rapid Access Pathway. Remote Monitoring could be developed as an initiative to monitor patients with chronic respiratory conditions such as Asthma and COPD.