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JMIR Res Protoc
. 2021 Jan 5.
doi: 10.2196/23316. Online ahead of print.
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
Laya Jalilian Khave 1 , Mohammad Vahidi 1 , Dorsa Shirini 1 , Ghazal Sanadgol 1 , Farzad Ashrafi 2 , Mehran Arab-Ahmadi 3 , Alireza Fatemi 4 , Minoosh Shabani 4 5 , Taha Hassanzadeh 1 , Behandokht Rezaei 1 , Alireza Zali 4 , Davood Ommi 4 , Shabnam Nohesara 6 , Reza Jalili Khoshnood 4 , Saeed Abdi 4 , Ali Pirsalehi 4 , Ehsan Masarat 7 , Mostafa Shokoohi 8 9 , Mohammad Karamouzian 10 9
Affiliations
- PMID: 33471777
- DOI: 10.2196/23316
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, 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, were eligible to participate. At baseline, 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 were 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). During the initial data collection phase, >5000 phone calls were made and over 577 reports of critical cases in need of urgent medical attention were recorded.
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 with effective disease management in resource-restricted settings.