Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on unmet healthcare needs after hospital discharge in acute respiratory failure survivors: A multicenter prospective cohort study.

Survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF) have complex healthcare needs postdischarge, frequently resulting in unmet needs. This prospective multicenter study explores the association between COVID-19 status and unmet healthcare needs in survivors of ARF following hospital discharge. We analyzed patient characteristics and unmet healthcare needs by COVID-19 status using a multivariable regression model with propensity weights. Among 195 patients in the final analysis, 54% were COVID-19+, 53% were female, 42% were non-White, and the median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 54 (42-63). The median (IQR) percentage of unmet healthcare needs was 26% (17%-36%), with follow-up appointments accounting for most unmet needs. Unmet medication needs were found to be very low at 6%. Despite the challenges in healthcare delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, our data suggest COVID status had no observable effect on unmet healthcare needs for ARF survivors, after controlling for patient baseline and clinical status.