Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Aug 8, 2020
Date Accepted: Jan 5, 2021
Date Submitted to PubMed: Jan 20, 2021
A prospective cohort of clinical and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients post-discharge in Tehran, Iran (Tele-COVID-19): Research protocol and baseline findings
ABSTRACT
Background:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Given the severe shortage of hospital beds leading to early discharges and insufficient patient education regarding home care routines and isolation protocols, close follow-up with patients and their immediate relatives is an integral part of care transition from hospital to home among COVID-19 patients.
Objective:
We designed the Tele-COVID-19 prospective cohort to follow-up COVID-19 patients in Tehran, Iran in order to help improve healthcare delivery and recording of patients’ clinical profile post-discharge.
Methods:
All adult patients admitted to COVID-19 wards of teaching hospitals of Tehran, Iran are eligible to participate. In the baseline wave, patients were recruited from four major hospitals from March 9, 2020 to May 20, 2020. Telephone follow-ups led by volunteer medical students were made on days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14 post-discharge. Data was collected on a range of socio-demographic, epidemiological, and clinical characteristics using a standard questionnaire.
Results:
Out of 950 confirmed COVID-19 patients who were approached, 823 consented and were enrolled in the cohort (response rate = 86.6%). A total of 449 (54.5%) participants were male and the mean (SD) age of participants was 50.1 (12.6).
Conclusions:
Tele-COVID-19 will provide the patients with sufficient education on homecare and isolation as well as medical advice on care and proper use of drugs. In addition, by preventing unnecessary hospital returns and diagnosis of household transmissions at the earliest stages, this cohort would help disease management in resource restricted settings. Clinical Trial: NA
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