The South Georgian Bay Ontario Health Team (SGB OHT) has launched a Home Monitoring Program to care for high-risk patients with suspect or confirmed COVID-19.
It says the program will better support residents in South Georgian Bay who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are recovering at home.
A similar program was created at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) in response to the emerging evidence and research surrounding the dangers of ‘silent hypoxia’ in patients who tested positive for COVID-19. Silent hypoxia occurs when a patient’s oxygen levels fall dangerously low, while not displaying significant respiratory symptoms, such as shortness of breath. If not attended to, silent hypoxia can result in serious health complications, including respiratory failure.
In response to this risk, The Georgian Bay Family Health Team, Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, and the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network Home and Community Care collaborated to develop a shared community response to care for high-risk patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
Patients in the program receive a pulse oximeter and education on its use, in addition to daily nurse-led virtual visits to assess oxygen levels, symptoms and overall health, as they monitor for signs of silent hypoxia.
“Patients with COVID-19 may only have mild symptoms when they are first diagnosed, but things can progress quickly, especially from day 5-10 after the onset of symptoms,” says Dr. Mark Quigg, Family Physician, Georgian Bay Family Health Team. “Through this program, our nurses are able to proactively identify patients who are showing signs of silent hypoxia and get them into treatment before their oxygen levels become critical and they require intensive care. This is especially important as the number of COVID-19 cases in our community continue to rise and potentially become more contagious. Any efforts to reduce the use of intensive care resources is essential to the integrity and sustainability of our health care system.”
The COVID-19 Home Monitoring Program is a powerful tool in helping patients receive early intervention when needed, and thereby avoiding rapid decline and requirement for intubation and ventilation. It is believed that as a result of this program, a number of lives have been saved in South Georgian Bay, through a collaborative approach to care.
For more information about the South Georgian Bay COVID-19 Home Monitoring Program and criteria for referral, please click here.