WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Novant Health started a new at-home digital health program for COVID-19 patients.
According to health officials, COVID Care at Home will identify patients undergoing treatment for COVID-19 who can safely transition to at-homecare.
Those patients will be discharged and will receive on-demand virtual care, follow-up appointments, and in-home support.
"By giving patients the tools they need to follow their treatment plan — in the comfort of their own home — while still being closely monitored, we can intervene earlier and help reduce the likelihood they’d need to be readmitted for a serious or emergent condition. This is a win-win for our patients and for our hospitals,” said Joy Justice, FNP, lead clinician.
The program is designed to help relieve the pressure on acute care facilities, prevent or earlier detect the need for readmission, and provide better continuity of care for patients.
There was a pilot program of 22 patients. Novant said of those 22 patients who were discharged, three were readmitted to the hospital.
COVID Care at Home launched systemwide on September 1 and officials said, more than 50 patients have benefitted from the program.
“This pandemic pushed us to be even more nimble and innovative in how we deliver safe, quality care. Like many new programs or services that we’ve developed in response to COVID-19, we plan to expand this model beyond COVID-19 to reach and benefit even more patients,” said Dr. Zak Anderson, clinical physician.
How it works:
- A patient could be discharged home with home oxygen monitoring and administration equipment.
- All COVID Care at Home patients will leave with a scheduled virtual visit within the first 24 hours with Novant Health’s on-demand virtual care team.
- Patients will either get an emergent referral to see their Novant Health primary care provider or will continue to have ongoing on-demand virtual follow-up visits, as medically necessary.
- All patients will get assistance setting up a MyChart account, a step-by-step guide to access their scheduled virtual visit, as well as on-demand virtual visits, and a pulse oximeter before being discharged from the hospital.