Effectiveness of telephone monitoring in primary care to detect pneumonia and associated risk factors in patients with SARS-CoV-2

Baena Díez, Jose M.; Grau Magaña, Maria

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9111548

Effectiveness of telephone monitoring in primary care to detect pneumonia and associated risk factors in patients with SARS-CoV-2

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Baena-Díez JM, Gonzalez-Casafont I, Cordeiro-Coelho S, Fernández-González S, Rodríguez-Jorge M, Fernández Pérez-Torres CU, et al. Effectiveness of telephone monitoring in primary care to detect pneumonia and associated risk factors in patients with SARS-CoV-2. Healthcare (Basel). 2021 Nov 13; 9(11): 1548. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9111548

Abstract

Improved technology facilitates the acceptance of telemedicine. The aim was to analyze the effectiveness of telephone follow-up to detect severe SARS-CoV-2 cases that progressed to pneumonia. A prospective cohort study with 2-week telephone follow-up was carried out March 1 to May 4, 2020, in a primary healthcare center in Barcelona. Individuals aged ≥15 years with symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 were included. Outpatients with non-severe disease were called on days 2, 4, 7, 10 and 14 after diagnosis; patients with risk factors for pneumonia received daily calls through day 5 and then the regularly scheduled calls. Patients hospitalized due to pneumonia received calls on days 1, 3, 7 and 14 post-discharge. Of the 453 included patients, 435 (96%) were first attended to at a primary healthcare center. The 14-day follow-up was completed in 430 patients (99%), with 1798 calls performed. Of the 99 cases of pneumonia detected (incidence rate 20.8%), one-third appeared 7 to 10 days after onset of SARS-CoV-2 symptoms. Ten deaths due to pneumonia were recorded. Telephone follow-up by a primary healthcare center was effective to detect SARS-CoV-2 pneumonias and to monitor related complications. Thus, telephone appointments between a patient and their health care practitioner benefit both health outcomes and convenience.