Patient experiences with a remote monitoring pathway for covid-19

Introduction In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Michael Garron Hospital developed the CovidCare remote monitoring pathway to provide timely clinical evaluation and management for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Remote monitoring is increasingly used, but limited data exist on patients' experiences with these pathways for managing COVID-19. This study aims to describe patients' experiences with CovidCare, specifically two patient populations: those with medium-or high-level alerts that A) did not return to the emergency department (ED) and were successfully managed at home, and B) those who returned to ED but were not admitted. Methods Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analysed using grounded theory. Results Across 35 interviews (response rate of 66%), three main themes were identified: the program provided emotional support (a sense of security, reduced feelings of depression and loneliness, and decreased fear and anxiety);was informative (taught patients COVID-19-related precautions, instructed patients on how to self-monitor COVID-19 symptoms, and informed patients about self-care when coping with COVID-19), and motivated patients to self-monitor and self-manage (facilitated selfmanagement, prompted self-management, and encouraged selfmonitoring). Patients in both groups also reported nurses at times urging them to go to ED despite feeling able to manage at home, and only a few patients in Group B returned to ED for issues directly related to COVID-19. Discussion The CovidCare pathway was well-received by most interviewed patients. Both groups identified the tendency for nurses to recommend ED assessment for worsening symptoms;however, only a few patients in Group B returned to ED for issues directly related to COVID-19, limiting further analysis into why this advice may have affected them differently. Further research should explore the tendency of the CovidCare pathway to recommend ED assessment to improve its efficiency and applicability for other remote monitoring programs.