SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Not Home Alone: A Covid-19 Post-Discharge Remote Patient Monitoring Pilot

Pdf Summary

This poster describes a COVID-19 post-discharge remote patient monitoring (RPM) pilot launched by MUSC Health to help reduce hospital capacity strain during the pandemic. The program was designed for adults hospitalized with acute hypoxic respiratory failure due to COVID-19 who required up to 4 LPM of oxygen and had been stable or improving for at least 24 hours.<br /><br />Before discharge, enrolled patients received a pulse oximeter and data transmission hub. For 16 days after discharge, an RPM nurse contacted patients twice daily to collect symptoms and biometric data, including heart rate, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate. If patients improved, the nurse followed criteria to wean oxygen. If they worsened, they were escalated to a hospitalist through a virtual visit.<br /><br />The program aimed to promote early discharge, monitor patients safely at home, and support transition back to outpatient care. The authors report that the pilot saved a total of 376 hospital days, which they estimate allowed about 50 additional patients to be admitted based on an average length of stay of 7.4 days.<br /><br />The conclusions suggest that RPM can relieve bed capacity constraints, facilitate safe discharge, and provide a practical alternative or complement to more complex Hospital-at-Home models. Readmission rates were consistent with national COVID-19 data, and the authors highlight the financial value of CMS’s waiver of the certificate of medical necessity for oxygen claims during the pandemic. They argue that this pilot serves as proof of concept for future reimbursement and expansion of post-discharge oxygen monitoring for other acute respiratory conditions.

Asset Subtitle

Phillip D. Warr

Meta Tag

Author List Dee Ford, Dunc Williams Jr., Emily Warr, Kathryn L. King, Kit N. Simpson, Marc Heincelman, Peter Gardella, Phillip D. Warr, Ryan Kruis

Category Research

Concept Remote Patient Monitoring

Concept COVID-19

Concept Hospital Discharge

Concept Oxygen Therapy

Concept Hospitalized Patient

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Medical University of South Carolina

Presenting Author Phillip D. Warr

Track Transitions of Care

Keywords

COVID-19

remote patient monitoring

post-discharge care

hospital capacity

pulse oximeter

oxygen therapy

acute hypoxic respiratory failure

hospital-at-home

readmission rates

patient monitoring

Remote Patient Monitoring

COVID-19

Hospital Discharge

Oxygen Therapy

Hospitalized Patient