Managing Patients With COVID-19 in Armenia Using a Remote Monitoring System: Descriptive Study.

Managing Patients With COVID-19 in Armenia Using a Remote Monitoring System: Descriptive Study.

Publication date: Sep 30, 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed immense stress on global health care systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Armenia, a middle-income country in the Caucasus region, contended with the pandemic and a concurrent war, resulting in significant demand on its already strained health care infrastructure. The COVID@home program was a multi-institution, international collaboration to address critical hospital bed shortages by implementing a home-based oxygen therapy and remote monitoring program. The objective of this study was to describe the program protocol and clinical outcomes of implementing an early discharge program in Armenia through a collaboration of partner institutions, which can inform the future implementation of COVID-19 remote home monitoring programs, particularly in LMICs or low-resource settings. Seven hospitals in Yerevan participated in the COVID@home program. A web app based on OpenMRS was developed to facilitate data capture and care coordination. Patients meeting eligibility criteria were enrolled during hospitalization and monitored daily while on oxygen at home. Program evaluation relied on data extraction from (1) eligibility and enrollment forms, (2) daily monitoring forms, and (3) discharge forms. Over 11 months, 439 patients were screened, and 221 patients were managed and discharged. Around 94% (n=208) of participants safely discontinued oxygen therapy at home, with a median home monitoring duration of 26 (IQR 15-45 days; mean 32. 33, SD 25. 29) days. Women (median 28. 5, mean 35. 25 days) had similar length of stay to men (median 26, mean 32. 21 days; P=. 75). Despite challenges in data collection and entry, the program demonstrated feasibility and safety, with a mortality rate below 1% and low re-admission rate. Opportunities for operational and data quality improvements were identified. This study contributes practical evidence on the implementation and outcomes of a remote monitoring program in Armenia, offering insights into managing patients with COVID-19 in resource-constrained settings. The COVID@home program’s success provides a model for remote patient care, potentially alleviating strain on health care resources in LMICs. Policymakers can draw from these findings to inform the development of adaptable health care solutions during public health crises, emphasizing the need for innovative approaches in resource-limited environments.

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Concepts Keywords
Armenia Adult
Covid Aged
Daily Armenia
Hospitalization Armenia
War COVID-19
COVID-19
Female
global health care
health care infrastructure
home monitoring
home oxygen therapy
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Monitoring, Physiologic
pandemic
remote patient monitoring
resource-constrained
Telemedicine
web platform
Yerevan

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH COVID-19
disease IDO country
drug DRUGBANK Oxygen
disease IDO quality
drug DRUGBANK Spinosad
drug DRUGBANK Methylphenidate
disease MESH emergency
disease IDO algorithm
drug DRUGBANK Etoperidone
drug DRUGBANK Medical air
disease MESH sepsis
disease MESH hypotension
drug DRUGBANK Methionine
disease IDO process
disease IDO disposition
disease MESH Infectious Diseases

Original Article

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