Dependent variable: patient participation in COVID-19 triage recommendation is defined as the patient’s subsequent action adherence to the telephone triage recommendation within 14 days of the initial triage call in the three-month phase. Independent variables include demographic characteristics (age, gender), comorbidity (Charlson comorbidity index and obesity status), health behaviors (smoking, drinking, and illicit drug use), and symptoms (fever, unexplained muscle aches, eye-nose-throat (ENT) symptoms, eye symptom-(i.e., eye redness and/or discharge, respiratory symptom, upper respiratory infection (URI) symptom, gastrointestinal (GI symptom), and altered mental status).
Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) is a weighted index as a continuous variable to predict the risk of death within one year of hospitalization for patients with specific comorbid conditions. Higher scores indicate a more severe condition and a poorer prognosis and have been used consistently in the literature [13 (link)]. Body Mass Index (BMI) was defined as the body mass (kg) divided by the square of the height (m2) and was calculated using self-reported weight and height. We defined obesity as having a BMI equal to or above 30 [14 (link)]. This was a dichotomous variable. Health behaviors included smoking, drinking, and illicit drug use as binary variables (0 = never, 1 = quit or currently use). COVID-related symptoms included fever, unexplained muscle aches, ENT, eye symptoms, respiratory symptoms, URI symptoms, GI symptoms, and altered mental status, which were included in the hotline nursing triage (0 = No, 1 = Yes).
Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) is a weighted index as a continuous variable to predict the risk of death within one year of hospitalization for patients with specific comorbid conditions. Higher scores indicate a more severe condition and a poorer prognosis and have been used consistently in the literature [13 (link)]. Body Mass Index (BMI) was defined as the body mass (kg) divided by the square of the height (m2) and was calculated using self-reported weight and height. We defined obesity as having a BMI equal to or above 30 [14 (link)]. This was a dichotomous variable. Health behaviors included smoking, drinking, and illicit drug use as binary variables (0 = never, 1 = quit or currently use). COVID-related symptoms included fever, unexplained muscle aches, ENT, eye symptoms, respiratory symptoms, URI symptoms, GI symptoms, and altered mental status, which were included in the hotline nursing triage (0 = No, 1 = Yes).
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