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Published on: April 19, 2019
Efficacy of Telemedicine and Telemonitoring in At-Home Monitoring of Patients with COVID-19
Emilio Casariego-Vales1,2, Rosa Blanco-López3, Benigno Rosón-Calvo4
1Internal Medicine Department, Lucus Augusti University Hospital, 27003 Lugo, Spain.
Insights
Telemedicine and telemonitoring significantly improve outcomes for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients at home. This proactive approach reduces hospitalizations and mortality rates, easing healthcare system pressure.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Digital Health
- Infectious Disease Management
Background:
- The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic necessitated innovative healthcare delivery models.
- At-home monitoring strategies are crucial for managing large patient populations and preventing healthcare system overload.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical utility and safety of telemedicine and telemonitoring for COVID-19 patients.
- To compare a structured, proactive telemonitoring program (TELEA) with other monitoring methods in Spain.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 47,053 COVID-19 patients in Galicia, Spain (December 2020 - February 2021).
- Comparison of patients monitored via TELEA in the ASLAM healthcare area versus those monitored by other methods across Galicia.
Main Results:
- Patients monitored via TELEA were older, had fewer emergency department visits (p=0.05), lower hospitalization rates (p<0.01), shorter hospital stays (p<0.0001), and reduced mortality (p=0.03).
- No life-threatening emergencies were reported among patients monitored at home via TELEA.
- TELEA monitored 1187 of 4384 (27.1%) COVID-19 patients within the ASLAM area.
Conclusions:
- Proactive at-home monitoring using telemedicine and telemonitoring is clinically effective for COVID-19 patients.
- This integrated care model reduces hospital service burden and lowers patient mortality rates.
- The findings support the widespread adoption of telemonitoring for infectious disease management.
Aim:
this work aims to assess if telemedicine and telemonitoring are clinically useful and safe for at-home monitoring of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.
Methods:
This is a retrospective cohort study of all patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Galicia (Northwestern Spain) between 26 December 2020 and 15 February 2021. The structured, proactive monitoring via telemonitoring (TELEA) of patients considered to be high-risk in the Lugo, A Mariña, and Monforte Healthcare Area (ASLAM) was evaluated compared to other models in the remaining healthcare areas of Galicia.
Results:
Of the 47,053 COVID-19 patients, 4384 (9.3%) were in ASLAM. Of them, 1187 (27.1%) were monitored via TELEA, and the rest (3197 in ASLAM and 42,669 in the rest of Galicia) were monitored via other methods. Patients monitored in ASLAM via TELEA were older, consulted in the emergency department less frequently (p = 0.05), were hospitalized less frequently (p < 0.01), had shorter hospital stays (p < 0.0001), and had a lower mortality rate in their first hospitalization (p = 0.03). No at-home life-threatening emergencies were recorded.
Conclusions:
these data suggest that, for COVID-19 patients, a care model involving proactive at-home monitoring with telemedicine and telemonitoring is associated with reduced pressure on hospital services and a lower mortality rate.
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