Burden of COVID-19 on Italian Internal Medicine Wards: Delphi, SWOT, and Performance Analysis after Two Pandemic Waves in the Local Health Authority “Roma 6” Hospital Structures

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 causes major changes in day-to-day hospital activity due to its epidemiological characteristics and the clinical challenges it poses, especially in internal medicine wards. Therefore, it is necessary to understand and manage all of the implicated factors in order to maintain a high standard of care, even in sub-par circumstances. Methods: This was a three-phase, mixed-design study. Initially, the Delphi method allowed us to analyze the causes of poor outcomes in a cohort of an aggregate of Italian COVID-19 wards via an Ishikawa diagram. Then, for each retrieved item, a score was assigned according to a pros/cons, opportunities/threats system. Scores were also assigned according to potential value/perceived risk. Finally, the performances of MCs (Medicine-COVID-19 wards) and MCFs (Medicine-COVID-19-free: Internal Medicine wards) units were represented via a Barber’s nomogram. Results: MCFs hospitalized 790 patients (−23.90% compared to 2019 Internal Medicine admissions). The main risk factors for mortality were patients admitted from local facilities (+7%) and the presence of comorbidities (>3: 100%, ≥5: 24.7%). A total of 197 (25%) patients were treated with non-invasive ventilation (NIV). The most deaths (57.14%) occurred in patients admitted from local facilities. Conclusions: Medicine-COVID-19 wards show higher complexity and demand compared to non-COVID-19 ones and they are comparable to sub-intensive therapy wards. It is necessary to promote the use of NIV in such settings.