International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care
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Int J Qual Health Care · Mar 2021
Observational StudyImpact of a prolonged COVID-19 lockdown on patterns of admission, mortality and performance indicators in a cardiovascular intensive care unit.
The effects of an early and prolonged lockdown during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on cardiovascular intensive care units (CICUs) are not well established. ⋯ This study found a significant reduction in overall and cardiovascular disease-related causes of admission to the cardiac intensive care unit, worse performance indicators and increased in-hospital mortality along the first 5 months of the early and long-lasting COVID-19 lockdown in Argentina. These results highlight the need to foster public awareness concerning the risks of avoiding hospital attendance. Moreover, health systems should follow strict screening protocols to prevent potential biases in the admission of patients with critical conditions unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Feb 2021
Patient and clinician experience with a rapidly implemented large-scale video consultation program during COVID-19.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced health-care providers to find creative ways to allow continuity of care in times of lockdown. Telemedicine enables provision of care when in-person visits are not possible. Sheba Medical Center made a rapid transition of outpatient clinics to video consultations (VC) during the first wave of COVID-19 in Israel. ⋯ Our study reports high levels of patient satisfaction from outpatient clinics VC during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lower levels of clinician satisfaction can mostly be attributed to technical and administrative challenges related to the newly implemented telemedicine platform. Our findings support the continued future use of VC as a means of providing patient-centered care. Future steps need to be taken to continuously improve the clinical and administrative application of telemedicine services.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Feb 2021
COVID-19 emergencies around the globe: China's experience in controlling COVID-19 and lessons learned.
Nations around the world have been significantly impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. China's strategies for controlling COVID-19 offer valuable lessons for the global community. By learning from China's experience and lessons, other countries could also find appropriate methods to control the pandemic. ⋯ By learning from the experience of China, other countries in the world could eventually find the methods to control the COVID-19 pandemic. An emergency response system should be established in each country. Doctors and nurses are not alone in fighting COVID-19, and the entire world is helping them. With cooperation, current difficulties could be overcome.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Feb 2021
From intensive care to step-down units: Managing patients throughput in response to COVID-19.
The on-going COVID-19 pandemic may cause the collapse of healthcare systems because of unprecedented hospitalization rates. ⋯ COVID-19 is like an enduring mass casualty incident. Solutions tailored on local epidemiology and available resources should be implemented to preserve the efficiency and adaptability of our institutions and provide the adequate sanitary response.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Feb 2021
Observational StudyThirty-day readmission rate of COVID-19 patients discharged from a tertiary care university hospital in Turkey: an observational, single-center study.
The 30-day readmission rate is an important indicator of patient safety and hospital's quality performance. In this study, we aimed to find out the 30-day readmission rate of mild and moderate severity coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) patients discharged from a tertiary care university hospital and to demonstrate the possible factors associated with readmission. ⋯ This is one of the first studies to report on 30-day readmission rate of COVID-19 in the literature. More comprehensive studies are needed to reveal the causes and predictors of COVID-19 readmissions.