Inappropriate Telemetry Use Is Increased during the COVID-19 Era

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Healthcare Management
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic created an environment of clinical uncertainty.
• Resource allocation became a critical concern during the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the frequency of inappropriate telemetry monitoring use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To assess adherence to 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for telemetry orders.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review at a major academic hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii.
• Comparison of telemetry order appropriateness between pre-COVID-19 (Nov 2019-Feb 2020) and peri-COVID-19 (Mar 2020-Jun 2020) periods.
• Analysis based on established clinical guidelines.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in inappropriate telemetry use was observed during the peri-COVID-19 period (p=0.0103).
• No concurrent increase in respiratory failure or pneumonia rates was noted.
• The rise in inappropriate use may stem from pandemic-related clinical uncertainty.

Conclusions:

• Inappropriate telemetry monitoring increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Optimizing telemetry use is crucial for resource management during health crises.
• Further research is needed to understand pandemic-related telemetry ordering trends.