Implications for practice
Home monitoring by pulse oximetry is already recommended by the WHO as part of a COVID-care package, and incorporated in UK guidelines for breathless, unwell, or high-risk patients with COVID-19.In conclusion, the pilot RCT showed that home monitoring of patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 with a validated pulse oximeter is feasible; adherence was high, patients reported a high feeling of safety, and the use of pulse oximetry did not result in an increase in primary care consultations compared with usual care. It is believed these findings are an important building block for safe implementation of pulse oximetry as a home monitoring tool in primary care.The authors would like to thank all study participants and all employees of the participating primary care centres for their cooperation in this study.