Researchers for a preprint article in Gastroenterology surveyed 73 individuals representing 62 U.S.-based centers and 11 Canadian centers between March 21 and April 17, on how COVID-19 changed their practice.
What they found:
1. Sixty-five percent of centers said they operated at less than or equal to 10 percent of normal endoscopy volume during the response period. Twenty-five percent of centers said they operated at 25 percent of normal endoscopy volume.
2. Ninety-seven percent of centers postponed screening colonoscopy. Sixty-eight percent of centers said they had no plan on how they’d address the procedural backlog once COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
3. Ninety-six percent of clinics pivoted to telemedicine, with 47 percent of centers saying they conducted more than 75 percent of their visits via telemedicine.
4. Eighty-six percent of centers said they screened patients for COVID-19 when they arrived at endoscopy units; however, only 28 percent of centers contacted patients up to 14 days post-procedure to track COVID-19 development.
More articles on ASCs:
The ‘new normal’ for ASCs: 16 admins on how the pandemic will change the field forever
Dr. Thomas Vikoren: Same-day TJR ‘made all the more important’ by COVID-19
Indiana orthopedic practice with surgery center to open
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