Preparing for the Unpredictable: Outpatient Facilities Grapple with Pandemic Preparedness

Strategic Insights -

As the country bracing for the upcoming flu season, outpatient facilities are struggling to prepare for the unpredictable threat of a severe pandemic. With the World Health Organization declaring the current pandemic, medical facilities around the country are racing to get ready for a surge of patients, staff shortages, and the potential for widespread transmission of the disease. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, experts agree that outpatient facilities, which often have limited resources and staff, must prioritize their preparations to ensure they can provide critical care during a potential outbreak.

Key Takeaways:

  • Outpatient facilities should have a detailed plan in place to handle a sudden or prolonged surge of patients, including measures to reduce transmission of the disease within the facility.
  • Staff shortages are a significant concern, with experts estimating that absenteeism can be detrimental to any facility, particularly for small facilities with few employees.
  • Preparing for a pandemic requires proactive planning, including hiring contract workers, establishing a phone system for triage, and designating isolation areas for patients with influenza.
  • Screening patients for symptoms at the door is crucial to reducing the transmission of seasonal influenza and HIN1, with experts recommending the use of passive or active screening, including enlisting volunteers or security guards to perform basic assessments.
  • Medical facilities should prioritize providing workers with personal protective equipment (PPE), such as surgical masks, gloves, and gowns, to prevent staff from contracting the disease.
  • Employers should clearly communicate their policies and procedures to staff to ensure that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in pandemic preparedness.
  • The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the CDC's Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) recommend using droplet precautions and wearing surgical masks instead of airborne precautions, which require N95 respirators.

Statistics:

  • According to the World Health Organization, the current pandemic has been declared (no specific date mentioned).
  • The CDC has released 10 steps that medical offices and outpatient facilities can take to prepare for the upcoming flu season.
  • A focus group conducted by Terri Rebmann found that many pediatric facilities reported using a 24/7 hotline to triage patients and reduce the number of people entering the emergency department.
  • According to Paul Biddinger, MD, medical director for emergency preparedness at Massachusetts General Hospital, outpatient providers may feel the brunt of the patient surge if the second wave of HIN1 causes mostly mild illness.
  • A study conducted by Rebmann found that 75% of healthcare workers exhibited symptoms of influenza after contact with an infected patient (source: Institute for Biosecurity at Saint Louis University School of Public Health).

Sources:

  • World Health Organization (no specific date mentioned)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (no specific date mentioned)
  • Paul Biddinger, MD, medical director for emergency preparedness at Massachusetts General Hospital (no specific date mentioned)
  • Terri Rebmann, PhD, RN, CIC, associate director for curricular affairs and assistant professor at the Institute for Biosecurity at Saint Louis University School of Public Health (no specific date mentioned)
  • Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (no specific date mentioned)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) (no specific date mentioned)
  • Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC) (no specific date mentioned)