Health Science Reports (Mar 2022)

Integrating healthcare for follow‐up of adult COVID‐19 patients in an outpatient clinic: A matter of cooperation

  • Aryan F. Klinkert,
  • Vania Baptista Lopes,
  • Janwillem M. van Baar,
  • Mariëlle E. A. C. Broeders,
  • H. N. A. J. (Rein) van Rijswijk,
  • Esther Cornegé‐Blokland,
  • Corrie Siegers‐Siebelink,
  • Angèle P. M. Kerckhoffs,
  • Carolina J. P. W. Keijsers

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.504
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 2
pp. n/a – n/a

Abstract

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Abstract Rationale, aims, and objectives A large number of patients infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 (COVID‐19) need outpatient follow‐up after hospitalization. As these patients may experience a broad range of symptoms, as do patients infected with the related SARS‐CoV‐1 virus, we set up a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic involving pulmonologists, internists, and geriatricians. Patients were allocated to a specialist based on symptoms reported on a self‐developed questionnaire of expected symptoms of COVID‐19. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of this outpatient clinic. Methods In this retrospective study, the medical records of patients who presented to the outpatient clinic for follow‐up after hospitalization for COVID‐19 up to 31 August 2020, were reviewed. Results In total, 266 patients were seen at the outpatient clinic at least once. Overall, 100 patients were seen by a pulmonologist, 97 by an internist, and 65 by a geriatrician. A referral between these 3 medical specialists was needed for only 14 patients (5.3%). Fifty patients were seen by a psychologist, mostly those with a HADS score >10. Only 5 (2.2%) of the 221 patients who were not directly referred to a psychologist based on triage needed psychological support. Forty‐eight patients (18%) were also seen by a physiatrist. Conclusion Identifying which medical specialist (pulmonologist, internist, and/or geriatrician) should see patients attending a post‐COVID outpatient clinic based on patient‐reported symptoms proved an effective approach to managing the flow of post‐COVID patients.

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