This cancer program piloted a remote monitoring program for clinically stable COVID-19 positive patients with cancer. Using equipment provided to them by the cancer program, patients reported vital measurements three times daily. Data was collected on a password-protected patient dashboard and monitored 12 hours a day, 7 days a week by advanced practice providers. APPs and physicians worked in tandem to make clinical determinations on appropriate next steps, documenting provider communications and clinical recommendations in the EHR.
The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges in the healthcare world, especially in the care of patients with cancer. Patients with pre-existing health conditions and those with suppressed immune systems are especially vulnerable to the SARS- CoV-2 virus and are more likely to develop severe symptoms. One of the many questions under consideration in the oncologic sphere is how to manage patients who are treated on an outpatient basis and who have been exposed to or are COVID-19-positive but do not require hospitalization. In an attempt to mitigate the risks of exposure to COVID-19, our cancer center developed outpatient screening methods and established a COVID-19 testing clinic to identify patients who may be COVID-19-positive. This article describes our experience with this program.
