from the previous SARS epidemic, where chronic disease patients not affected by SARS ‘presented with worsened disease/symptom control’ largely attributed to ‘a widespread avoidance of the health care system’—that a similar situation is likely occurring in the COVID-19 pandemic.3 According to the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) Study 2017, there were 3.2 million deaths due to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and 495 thousand deaths due to asthma.4 In Asia, the estimated prevalence of COPD in the region is rising according to Asia Pacific Family Medicine. However, the disease has historically been under-diagnosed and under-reported even before the outbreak of COVID-19.5 This situation will likely be exacerbated as health systems move towards recovery due to overburdened hospitals with backlogged cases and where spirometry cannot be performed. The first reality that hospital leaders now face is the huge backlog of respiratory service cases caused by the closure of all non-critical services during the peak of the pandemic. However, even now despite this backlog and services reopening, volumes remain low. For example, South Korea and Thailand hospitals were conducting as low as 40 percent volume of elective/semi-elective procedures as of last month.6 A primary reason for this low volume could be patients’ concern over safe care environment and risk of infection when seeking so-called ‘elective’ services. Given the devastating impact that COVID-19 can have on the lung, it is natural for patients with
underlying COPD to avoid hospitals during this time.7 “Even though some services have restarted, patients are quite concerned about hygiene in a hospital setting,” said Prof. Susanna Ng of the Department of Medicine & Therapeutics Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong in a recent interview with ResMed. Such fears can lead to further delays in administering proper care, which can culminate in lasting impact on health.
Hospital administrators are striving to ensure patients of hygiene so that they are more likely to access necessary treatments, while also taking measures to protect the long-term wellness and safety of their staff. Minimising potential exposure to infection and creating a safe environment during the pandemic is top of mind. This has caused many administrators to re-examine some standard practices as they begin their post-pandemic planning.
Operational planning for post-pandemic resilience requires a balance of the following pillars:
Quality of Patient Care
Environment Safety
Staff Safety
Many hospitals are
The pandemic has
At least 72,346 US
facing a huge backlog of
exacerbated long-
healthcare workers have
uncompleted procedures
standing public health and
been infected during this
due to the various policies
environmental challenges,
pandemic as of June 4,
during the height of the
requiring administrators to
2020.10 Countless more
pandemic. A wealth of
balance the need for staff
healthcare workers are
literature points to negative
safety against impacts to
exposed to infection around
patient outcomes and
the environment.9 The
the world, spurring the
higher costs when certain
crisis will require a careful
Harvard Business Review
treatments are delayed.8
balance of both reusables
to implore administrators to
It is important that
and disposables to ensure
re-examine their practices
hospitals are leveraging
that they are minimising
to ‘make staff safety a
all technologies at their
exposure to infection.
fundamental value that you
disposal to start bridging
won’t compromise for other
these gaps early.
organisational priorities.’11
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