Agile Implementation of Innovative End to End Technical Solutions for Respiratory Testing in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Health Informatics
• Public Health Surveillance

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated large-scale, rapid diagnostic testing implementation.
• Existing healthcare systems faced challenges in scaling testing operations efficiently.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and implementation of an efficient, scalable end-to-end COVID-19 testing and reporting workflow.
• To leverage informatics infrastructure and digital tools for improved testing efficiency and patient experience.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a combination of consumer-driven workflows and a consistent electronic medical record (EMR) user interface for ordering and data collection.
• Implemented an EMR-independent entry point for affiliated providers and automated processes for screening, registration, patient identification, and specimen management.
• Employed an agile methodology to rapidly adapt prioritization logic and integrate new digital tools.

Main Results:

• Successfully supported over 1,000,000 COVID-19 tests with more than 200 prioritization logic adjustments.
• Enabled patient-driven screening, data collection, and ordering at a rate of up to 9 patients per minute.
• Reduced curbside specimen collection time from over 39 minutes to under 17 minutes per patient.
• Facilitated consumer communication via texting and enabled standards-based reporting to public health agencies.

Conclusions:

• The developed agile, informatics-driven workflow significantly improved the efficiency and scalability of large-scale COVID-19 testing.
• The approach demonstrated the successful integration of consumer-facing digital tools and automation in a public health crisis.
• This model offers a robust framework for managing high-volume testing and reporting in response to future public health emergencies.