Influenza is a huge issue for healthcare providers, including ambulatory surgery centers.
The Joint Commission is now offering a free online education opportunity of four 30-minute courses targeting busy clinicians on strategies to improve rapid influenza testing and treatment in ASCs.
Here are five things to know about influenza:
1. Around 5 percent to 20 percent of the people in the United States are affected by seasonal influenza.
2. More than 200,000 hospitalizations are associated with influenza each year.
3. Even healthy people risk complications from influenza.
4. Not every patient who exhibits flu symptoms needs rapid influenza diagnostic tests to make the diagnosis.
5. Antiviral drugs play an important role in treating flu illness.