Mortality and Readmission Rates Among Patients With COVID-19 After Discharge From Acute Care Setting With...

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic strained acute care resources.
• Ambulatory oxygen management was explored to optimize patient outcomes and preserve hospital capacity.
• The SAFE @ HOME O2 Expected Practice was developed for COVID-19 patients requiring supplemental oxygen.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia discharged with home oxygen therapy.
• To assess the safety and effectiveness of the SAFE @ HOME O2 Expected Practice.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 621 adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia discharged with home oxygen.
• Patients received home oxygen, educational resources, and nursing follow-up.
• Data collected on all-cause mortality and 30-day readmission rates.

Main Results:

• The all-cause mortality rate was 1.3% (95% CI, 0.6%-2.5%).
• The 30-day all-cause readmission rate was 8.5% (95% CI, 6.2%-10.7%).
• No deaths occurred in the ambulatory setting.

Conclusions:

• Discharging COVID-19 pneumonia patients on home oxygen is associated with low mortality and readmission rates.
• Ambulatory oxygen management demonstrates an acceptable safety profile.
• The SAFE @ HOME O2 Expected Practice effectively manages patients, optimizing outcomes and preserving acute care access.