Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Jul 2020
Outpatient Otolaryngology in the Era of COVID-19: A Data-Driven Analysis of Practice Patterns.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has induced a prioritization of acute care and telehealth, affecting the quantity of patients seen and the modality of their care. ⋯ A major decrease in the completion rates of scheduled visits was seen in the COVID-19-affected period, though this was not proportional among subspecialties. An associated increase in telehealth visits was observed. After COVID-19-related hospital policy changes, approximately 2 weeks passed before telehealth visits surpassed in-person visits, though this was not true among older adults.
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Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Jul 2020
Management of the Clinical and Academic Mission in an Urban Otolaryngology Department During the COVID-19 Global Crisis.
The objective of this study was to assess the strategic changes implemented in the departmental mission to continue safe delivery of otolaryngology care and to support the broader institutional mission during the COVID-19 pandemic response. ⋯ Emergence of the COVID-19 global health crisis has challenged delivery of otolaryngology care in an unparalleled manner. The concerns for preserving health of the workforce while ethically addressing patient career needs in a timely manner has created significant dilemmas. A proactive, thoughtful approach that reorganizes the overall departmental effort through provider and staff engagement can facilitate the ability to meet the needs of otolaryngology patients and to support the greater institutional mission to combat the pandemic.
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Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Jul 2020
Multicenter StudyApproaching Otolaryngology Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Objective. To describe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient presentations requiring otolaryngology consultation and provide recommendations for protective measures based on the experience of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) departments in 4 Chinese hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study Design. ⋯ COVID-19 patients require ENT consultation for many reasons, including tracheotomy. Otolaryngologists play an indispensable role in the treatment of COVID-19 patients but, due to their work, are at high risk of exposure. Appropriate protective strategies can prevent infection of otolaryngologists.
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Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Jul 2020
ReviewInformation Overload: A Method to Share Updates among Frontline Staff during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Since COVID-19 was classified as a pandemic, the stream of important information from multiple sources is constant and always changing. As the pandemic evolves, the need to report relevant information to frontline providers remains crucial. ⋯ It was initially embraced as an important resource for resident physicians and then quickly adopted by the entire department as a necessary reference and communication tool during the ongoing crisis. The quicksheet has been a beneficial tool to distill and organize the most important and relevant information for frontline staff, and we hope that it can serve as a template for departments and health care workers in other hospital systems to adopt.