Innovation and Adaptation in COVID-19 Pandemic Posthospital Discharge Contact and Monitoring in the United States

Abstract

Background

To address unknown risk for readmission among patients with COVID-19 and persistent capacity strain, hospital systems used postdischarge contact and monitoring to facilitate safe discharge and recovery. However, little work has systematically documented how hospitals implemented changes to hospitalization postdischarge contact practices during COVID-19.

Research Question

How did hospitals’ innovate and adapt postdischarge telephone follow-up and remote monitoring strategies to assess discharged patients with COVID-19 for risk of readmission and recovery progress?

Study Design and Methods

Semistructured interviews were conducted (January 2022 to March 2023) with 70 inpatient and outpatient providers and administrators (5-12 per site) in nine health systems that varied by size, region, rurality, proportion of Medicaid patients, and estimated scale of post-COVID-19 care organization. Participants described innovation in and implementation of discharge and postdischarge care processes used to assess patients with COVID-19 for readmission risk and recovery progress. The primary analysis was site-level case comparative analysis.

Results

Respondents described hospital systems’ motivations for adapting preexisting resources and innovating new postdischarge programs, including postdischarge telephone follow-up and remote monitoring programs, to facilitate safe hospital discharge and transitions to ambulatory care for patients with COVID-19. Respondents also explained various factors that influenced the implementation and use of postdischarge contact practices. Participants perceived that these practices mitigated postdischarge risks and alleviated capacity strain. Respondents described retiring or adapting remote monitoring programs for other conditions as COVID-19 demands declined.

Interpretation

Our results show that hospitals implemented and adapted postdischarge practices to help facilitate recovery and address unknown risk for readmission during the pandemic. Some efforts may present opportunities to manage readmission concerns and capacity strain more generally.