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Review
. 2020 Aug 15;202(4):508-510.
doi: 10.1164/rccm.202004-1238OE.

Telemedicine-enabled Accelerated Discharge of Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 to Isolation in Repurposed Hotel Rooms

Teresa Bruni  1   2 , Ajit Lalvani  2 , Luca Richeldi  1
Affiliations
Review

Telemedicine-enabled Accelerated Discharge of Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 to Isolation in Repurposed Hotel Rooms

Teresa Bruni et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. .

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Patient flow between the various sites highlighting crucial checkpoints and potential challenges. (A) The hospital adopts a “reverse triage” method to free up beds, discharging patients in order of greater clinical stability. Patients who need to continue isolation (when not possible at home, or when they live in a care home) or medical monitoring, or both, are transferred to the hotel facility if medical stability is met. The proximity between the hotel and the hospital allows for rapid delivery of nasopharyngeal swabs to the laboratory and patients to the emergency room if necessary. (B) Key functions provided in the hotel: isolation through accommodation in single rooms, telemonitoring, nurses present 24 h/d, doctors on call, psychological assistance, and physiotherapy services. (C) Once two consecutive negative swabs are obtained, the patient can go home safely, without the risk of contagion to family members or care home residents or their caregivers. *Patients with a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) swab or a clinical diagnosis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), clinically stable, with no need for oxygen therapy nor intravenous therapy, able to use a smartphone, independent in daily routine activities, and unable to maintain effective home isolation can be admitted. **Patients undergo SARS-CoV-2 swabs in the hotel after 48–72 hours (if positive) or after 24 hours (if negative). After two consecutive negative swabs, the patient is safely discharged from the hotel. Figure icons were made by catkuro, iconixar, and Good Ware from www.flaticon.com and are used by permission. H24 = 24 h/d.
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