Remodelling of specialist services enables safe reduction in hospital admissions of patients with sickle cell disease: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clin Med (Lond)
; 20(6): e241-e243, 2020 11.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-808862
ABSTRACT
Sickle cell disease is characterised by recurrent painful crises often leading to hospitalisation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was important to try to reduce the need for hospital admission for these high-risk patients while at the same time ensuring that hospital avoidance did not put them at risk of deterioration from disease-related complications. In the 3-month period between March and May 2020, there was a significant reduction in the number of hospital admissions as well as mean length of stay compared with the mean figures over the same months in the preceding 5 years (2015-19), with an overall reduction in inpatient days of 77%. There were no cases of unsafe hospital avoidance or presentations to hospital that were inappropriately delayed. Frequent telephone communication with patients and provision of ambulatory care were, among others, two very important means of supporting our patient population.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Patient Satisfaction
/
Hospitalization
/
Anemia, Sickle Cell
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Clin Med (Lond)
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Clinmed.2020-0474
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