over quickly and treat more patients with relatively minimal environ-
mental concerns.
Reassure and remind
Even after your facility reopens, some patients still might not feel
comfortable scheduling surgeries due to concerns about exposure to
the coronavirus. Alleviate their fears through effective communica-
tion. Let them know that not only will they be tested for COVID-19,
but every patient will be, and that your environment is consistently
and effectively monitored and cleaned. SSIs are a much bigger risk of
surgery than catching COVID-19. You've always been on alert for
pathogenic organisms. COVID-19 is just the latest.
OSM
Dr. Dexter (franklin-dexter@uiowa.edu) is director of the division of man-
agement consulting, professor of anesthesia and professor of health manage-
ment and policy at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.
J U N E 2 0 2 0 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T • 1 1 1
Franklin Dexter, MD, PhD, FASA, and colleagues researched the
economic impact of COVID-19 on the daily management of outpa-
tient ORs in areas of the country where the acute crisis period
ends but the disease remains prevalent. They published their find-
ings in in the Journal of Clinical Anesthesia (osmag.net/CsXr6J).
The paper highlights numerous important recommendations that
can help you manage a large amount of elective surgeries and
associated health risks the coronavirus has created.
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