Updated (Covid-19) Triage Protocols: Thank You to Schmitt — Thompson Clinical Content

During the tumultuous times brought on by the rapid spread of and panic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we’d like to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Barton Schmitt and Dr. David Thompson and the host of clinical nurse contributors and reviewers who collaborated with them to author the triage guidelines used by AccessNurse.

Updating Protocols from the Start

Due to the prompt response by Dr. Schmitt and Dr. Thompson, we were able to be better prepared and equipped to handle the initial (and at the time of writing, ongoing) COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. Their continued efforts to ensure that triage protocols are up-to-date and accurate have been paramount to how we’ve been able to assess and handle the situation.

Their expertise and proactivity enabled us to implement both updated pediatric and adult guidelines shortly after the first cases were reported in the U.S.

The Need for Continuous Updating & Monitoring

Both Dr. Schmitt and Dr. Thompson continue to work diligently with us as the COVID-19 situation changes and as guidelines need updated and reworked.

We’ve collaborated with them on how to best communicate with our clients, as well as what messaging to use with our patient callers, and their close relationships with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have been invaluable to our ability to plan, and to our ability to provide appropriate advice to callers during this uncertain time.

Because of Dr. Schmitt’s and Dr. Thompson’s involvement, we’re confident that we’re following both national and CDC protocols, and that our triage nurses are appropriately notifying local health and emergency departments when patients need to seek treatment.

These protocols protect both patients and their families, frontline healthcare workers such as paramedics, emergency medicine providers, and other healthcare personnel, and the communities to which these individuals and groups belong.

The Impact of the New Guidelines

The education provided in the updated guidelines help to deliver sufficient detail to frightened callers, and to ease their uncertainty, and to provide information as to when COVID-19 testing should occur.

A frequently asked questions section of these updated guidelines also provides answers to common questions such as:

• Can someone who is not yet sick spread the virus?
• Can I get a coronavirus from touching an infected surface?”

Accurate and appropriate information helps to curb panic and prevent unnecessary hysteria.

Thanks to their efforts and dedication to their profession and to AccessNurse, we’ve succeeded in having guidelines in place since the beginning of this pandemic, which provided our nurses with the knowledge and confidence needed as they began receiving COVID-19 calls.

With Dr. Schmitt’s and Dr. Thompson’s continued involvement, we’re confident that we’ll be able to continue to help callers with clinically sound information throughout this pandemic.