Clinical Resources for Hospitals

The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania has compiled a list of resources to assist hospitals with quick access to information critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patient Care

Interim Guidance for Public Health Personnel Evaluating Persons Under Investigation (PUI) and Asymptomatic Close Contacts of Confirmed Cases at Their Home or Non-Home Residential: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers recommendations to address infection prevention and control practices when health care personnel conduct interviews and assess individuals for fever or other symptoms of COVID-19 at home or non-home residential settings

Evaluating and testing persons for Coronavirus: This document provides information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assist health care providers in the decision making process for the recognition of COVID-19, including evaluation of symptoms, as well as recommendations for specimen collection, testing, and reporting

Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Healthcare Settings: This document contains information for hospitals on pre-planning, triaging, patient placement, isolation precautions, personal protective equipment, aerosol generating procedures, visitor policies, and more

Interim Guidance for Collection and Submission of Postmortem Specimens from Deceased PUIs for COVID-19: This document from the CDC provides specific guidance for the collection and submission of postmortem specimens from deceased known or suspected COVID-19 cases related to biosafety and infection control practices, including during autopsy procedures

Preventing the Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Homes and Residential Communities: Recommended precautions for household members, intimate partners, and caregivers in a non- healthcare setting of a patient with symptomatic laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 or a patient under investigation

 

Health Care Worker Guidance

This guidance is based on best practice information at the present time and is regularly updated by the CDC. These are the most current recommendations for the safety of health care workers.

Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure in a Healthcare Setting to Patients with Coronavirus Disease: Guidance for health care personnel (HCP) on contact tracing, monitoring, and work restrictions in selected circumstances. The risk exposure categories are based on common scenarios with focus on presence/absence of source control measures; use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by HCP; and degree of contact with the patient. This document includes definitions of close contact, health care personnel, and more

Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Healthcare Settings: This document contains information for hospitals about how to minimize exposures, triaging, patient placement, Standard and Transmission-based precautions, personal protective equipment, aerosol generating procedures, visitor policies, and more

N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) Process for Decontamination and Reuse from Nebraska University: In an effort to extend the stockpile of N95 respirators, reduce risks associated with re-use of untreated, contaminated N95s, leaders at the University of Nebraska developed a surface decontamination procedure involving the delivery of ultraviolet germicidal radiation (UVGI) to used N95s

OSHA Temporary Enforcement Guidance for Respiratory Guidance: This memorandum provides temporary guidance for health care respiratory protection annual fit-testing for N95 filtering face-pieces during the COVID-19 outbreak

What's New: Keep up with CDC updates on Coronavirus Disease 2019: You can keep up with CDC updates on Coronavirus Disease 2019, sign up for email updates, and subscribe to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 RSS Feed

CDC COVID-19 Print Resources (Free access, multiple languages): This document lists various CDC resource pages available for print in multiple languages

 

Clinical/Treatment Resources

LitCovid: Curated literature hub for tracking up-to-date scientific information about the 2019 novel Coronavirus: LitCovid is a curated literature hub from the National Library of Medicine. It is the most comprehensive resource on the subject, providing a central access to relevant articles in PubMed. The articles are updated daily and are further categorized by different research topics and geographic locations for improved access

Evaluating and Reporting Persons Under Investigation (PUI) for COVID-19: Clinicians should use their judgment to determine if a patient has signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and whether the patient should be tested. Most patients with confirmed COVID-19 have developed fever and/or symptoms of acute respiratory illness (e.g., cough, difficulty breathing). The CDC clinical criteria for considering testing for COVID-19 have been developed based on what is known about COVID-19 and are subject to change as additional information becomes available

At-risk groups for COVID-19: Discusses currently available information as to who might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19

For help for clinical or laboratory issues, call the “CDC Emergency Operations” number 24/7 at 1-770-488-7100

 

Rounding

Patient/Resident Rounding Tool: This resource provides questions for rounding that may be used during a pandemic

Leader to Staff Tool: This resource provides questions for rounding that may be used during a pandemic

 

Patient Communication

Senior Leader Tool: The Planetree International organization provides tools to encourage open discussion with patients and staff

Caring Messages Applicable During the COVID-19 PandemicPlanetree International offers examples of caring communication in a variety of situations people in health care are encountering today

Planetree Person Centered Care Perspectives: Family Presence and Visitation Guidelines During a Pandemic: Planetree International offers guidelines for responsibly managing family presence in the hospital setting during the COVID-19 pandemic

Palliative Care: The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), part of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, is providing free resources specific to palliative Care. Resources include communication scripts for a variety of circumstances, detailed symptom management protocols, specific resources for palliative care teams, and more

 

Patient and Family Resources

Calling 211: Discusses how 211 is designed to provide information and referrals to health and human services and other social assistance programs

Let’s Talk About Person Centered Care During Pandemics: During this webinar, leaders from Planetree International and Language of Caring address concerns and questions about how to maintain a person-centered culture in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak

ABC’s of Combating Isolation: The Pioneer Network offers a multitude of shared resources to engage and connect long-term care residents and elders with their family, friends and communities as we navigate this changing world

How to Talk to Your Kids About COVID-19: Nationwide Children's Hospital, a primary pediatric hospital in Columbus, Ohio, developed a blog with advice to parents about discussing the realities of life during a pandemic

 

Social Media

Tips for Using Social Media: The International Foundation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) offer tips on the use of social media as part of the COVID-19 response

 

Telehealth

Telemedicine: Virtual Connection in an Age of Social Distancing: A physician from the Center to Advance Palliative Care makes the case for telemedicine and provides tips for the best possible interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic

 

Additional resources

SAMHSA Resources (Substance abuse and mental health services association): Training and technical assistance related to COVID-19 Resources from the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) including products and resources for behavioral health providers, first responders, and the community to cope with the effects of a public health crisis

WHO COVID-19 technical guidance: Infection prevention and control: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) technical guidance: Infection prevention and control/WASH. Infection prevention and control during health care when novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection is suspected

The Joint Commission link for COVID-19: A resource page to support health care professionals and organizations on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic with information that meets the needs of health care workers and leaders. Frequently updated recommendations

Pennsylvania Department of Health: Latest information about the coronavirus including number of confirmed cases, state map with county breakdown

CDC Coronavirus (COVID-19): Links to the President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America, how to protect yourself, what you need to know, resources for travel, businesses, schools, childcare, community, and faith-based organizations

American Hospital Association: The latest about COVID-19 from the American Hospital Association

Instructions for making masks by members of the community for general use. This video shows the steps to make cloth masks that are useful in social settings that free up medical PPE for hospitals

PA HAN Alerts: Pennsylvania Health Alert Network serves as a communication network among state and local public health agencies, health care providers, hospitals and emergency management officials. The information provided on the PA-HAN website is based upon recommendations from the CDC and other health organizations

Recommendations for Cleaning of Hotel Rooms: Instructions used to quarantine COVID-19 patients either positive or presumed positive. These simple instructions can also be used for the general public for cleaning of their home

24/7 number to call for managing anxiety and stress “National Crisis Distress Hotline”: 1-800-985-5990 OR Text “Talkwithus” to number 66746

 

 

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