Healthcare (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
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Little is known about the follow-up healthcare needs of patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after hospital discharge. Due to the unique circumstances of providing transitional care in a pandemic, post-discharge providers must adapt to specific needs and limitations identified for the care of COVID-19 patients. In this study, we conducted a retrospective chart review of all hospitalized COVID-19 patients discharged from an Emory Healthcare Hospital in Atlanta, GA from March 26 to April 21, 2020 to characterize their post-discharge care plans. ⋯ The most common follow-up need was an appointment with a primary care provider (258, 83.2%). Twenty-four patients (7.7%) had one or more visit to an ED after discharge and 16 patients (5.2%) were readmitted. To our knowledge, this is the first large study to report on post-discharge medical care for COVID-19 patients.