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Developing an Outpatient Pediatric Pre-Procedure COVID-19 Testing Model
Katherine O'Connor1, Morgan McGee1, Mary Gibson1
1Perioperative Care Coordination Clinic, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.
Insights
A new pediatric preoperative COVID-19 testing process was developed to guide personalized infection control. This ensured surgical safety and preserved resources by identifying positive cases early.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Infectious Disease Control
- Quality Improvement
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated adaptive strategies for safe surgical care.
- Preoperative patient assessment is crucial for managing infection risks in pediatric surgical settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design, implement, and manage a sustainable pediatric preoperative COVID-19 testing process.
- To utilize test results for optimizing personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection control measures.
- To enhance surgical scheduling and conserve healthcare resources.
Main Methods:
- Employed the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology for iterative process refinement.
- Developed and standardized a preoperative COVID-19 testing protocol across the enterprise.
- Piloted the process for patients undergoing procedures requiring anesthesia.
Main Results:
- Successfully implemented a safe, feasible, and timely preoperative testing process.
- Screened 1,707 pediatric patients, with five testing positive for COVID-19.
- Effectively prevented the need to manage 1,702 patients as potentially COVID-19 positive, optimizing resource allocation.
Conclusions:
- Knowledge of a patient's COVID-19 status is essential for safe perioperative care.
- This quality improvement initiative supports the safe reopening of surgical services.
- Individualized interventions based on testing results enhance patient safety and resource management.
Purpose:
The purpose of this project was to design, develop, implement, and manage a sustainable process for pediatric preoperative COVD-19 testing and use the test results to determine the level of personal protective equipment and infection control required for each patient for optimal surgical scheduling and preservation of resources.
Design:
This quality improvement project used the Plan-Do-Study-Act methodology. Multiple cycles of re-evaluation refined this process which was standardized across the enterprise.
Methods:
A process for preoperative testing for all patients undergoing procedures requiring anesthesia was developed and implemented.
Findings:
A safe, feasible, timely process was developed and piloted to obtain COVID-19 test results to guide individualized interventions. During the pilot, 1,707 patients were screened, and five tested positive for COVID-19, eliminating the need to manage 1702 patients as COVID-19 positive.
Conclusion:
To continue to safely re-open, knowledge of the patient's COVID-19 status is imperative to ensure a safe journey through the perioperative area.
