# Telemedicine and Mortality Reduction During COVID-19: Telemonitoring as a Key Strategy for Emergency Health care Preparedness

## TL;DR

Telemonitoring reduced mortality in high-risk COVID-19 patients at home, showing promise for emergency healthcare.

## Contribution

Demonstrates telemonitoring's effectiveness in reducing mortality during severe health crises like the pandemic.

## Key findings

- Telemonitored patients had 1.3% mortality vs. 2.9% in non-telemonitored patients.
- Multivariable analysis confirmed telemonitoring significantly reduces death risk.

## Abstract

Telemedicine, particularly remote monitoring, offers a promising approach to enhance health care. This study evaluated the impact of the Operations Center for Discharged Patients (COD19) telemonitoring service on COVID-19 patient mortality during the pandemic, exploring telemedicine’s potential in managing severe health emergencies.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on COVID-19 patients in home isolation, divided into telemonitoring and non-telemonitoring groups. All-cause mortality was the primary outcome. The COD19 provided active surveillance for the telemonitoring group.

The study included 6,017 patients: 2,431 telemonitored and 3,586 non-telemonitored. Telemonitored patients were older and had more comorbidities, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and a higher risk of hospitalization. Critically, mortality was significantly lower in the telemonitored group (1.3% vs. 2.9%, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis confirmed telemonitoring’s significant reduction of death risk, while age, sex, and comorbidities increased it.

Proactive at-home telemonitoring correlates with reduced mortality in COVID-19 patients. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted telemedicine’s potential as a vital strategy for emergency health care readiness.