TABLE 1.
Health System Adaptations, Testing, and PPE Practices* (N = 51)
| Strategies in your primary hospital | n (%) |
|---|---|
| RIU for known or suspected COVID-19 patients | 46 (90) |
| Transitional Care Unit for known or suspected COVID-19 patients | 16 (31) |
| ICU for known or suspected COVID-19 patients | 44 (86) |
| Quarantining staff exposed to COVID-19 | 15 (29) |
| Keeping staff home if sick or exposed | 48 (94) |
| Checking healthcare staff’s health daily | 31 (63) |
| Dedicated admitting team for known or suspected COVID-19 patients | 32 (63) |
| Dedicated COVID-19 rapid response or ICU-outreach teams | 16 (32) |
| Dedicated COVID-19 respiratory therapists | 12 (24) |
| Dedicated COVID-19 occupational or physical therapy | 3 (6) |
| Dedicated COVID-19 case management team | 15 (29) |
| Ethics or Palliative Care consult service to assist with allocation choices | 32 (63) |
| Home care to facilitate early discharge of COVID-19 patients | 17 (33) |
| Dedicated sub-acute facilities to care for discharged COVID-19 patients | 10 (20) |
| Post-discharge monitoring programs for discharged COVID-19 patients | 23 (45) |
|
| |
| COVID-19 test time turnaround for hospitalized patients | n (%) |
|
| |
| ≤1 hour | 2 (4) |
| 2-6 hours | 13 (26) |
| 7-10 hours | 18 (36) |
| 11-18 hours | 12 (24) |
| >18 hours | 5 (10) |
| Unknown | 1 (2) |
|
| |
| Estimated PPE stockpile | n (%) |
|
| |
| ≤1 week or less | 7 (14) |
| 2 weeks | 7 (14) |
| 3 weeks | 4 (8) |
| 4 weeks | 3 (6) |
| >4 weeks | 8 (16) |
| Unknown | 22 (43) |
|
| |
| Current PPE stewardship approaches in your hospital | n (%) |
|
| |
| Reuse masks if not soiled | 44 (86) |
| Reuse face shields | 41 (80) |
| Centralize distribution of PPE to providers | 30 (59) |
| Disinfect/sterilize masks or launderable gowns | 22 (43) |
| Use surgical masks on top of N95 | 11 (22) |
| Use launderable gowns | 11 (22) |
| Use 3D-printed masks | 10 (20) |
| Reuse gowns | 7 (14) |
| Reuse elastomeric respirators | 6 (12) |
| Use homemade PPE | 5 (10) |
| Use homemade plastic face shields | 5 (10) |
| Repurpose nonhealthcare masks | 3 (6) |
| Use adhesive bandages as nasal PPE | 0 |
| Use plastic ponchos, poly bags, or bedbag sheet material for gowns | 0 |
| Disallow reuse | 2 (4) |
*
Some sites declined to disclose estimates, resulting in variations in response rate.
Abbreviations: ICU, intensive care unit; PPE, personal protective equipment; RIU, respiratory isolation unit.