Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

The safe return to elective surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic is vital for the economic viability of health systems

Mary Dale Peterson, MD
Physician
May 20, 2020
Share
Tweet
Share

A guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

It is the ultimate irony that health care professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic are among the highest risk, not only for exposure to the deadly virus, but economically. Whether they are inundated with COVID-19 patients or still awaiting the surge, hospitals are struggling financially because they are not able or allowed to provide elective care. The number of people seeking routine and even emergency care has plummeted, and elective surgeries have been canceled or postponed indefinitely. I might argue that some of these “elective” surgeries are not so elective- they include surgeries for cancer, heart disease, and congenital conditions that are time-sensitive. This has led to unprecedented furloughs and layoffs in the very industry that our nation is relying on during this time of crisis.

That’s why it is vital that hospitals and health systems safely return to providing this service, while continuing to care for critically ill COVID-19 patients. The good news is that in some of the hardest-hit areas, the curve has flattened. Partnering with other associations, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) developed a roadmap of eight principles and considerations to help health care organizations safely resume elective surgeries by assessing readiness, prioritization, and scheduling. Highlights of the guidance:

Cases are decreasing: There should be a sustained reduction in the rate of new COVID-19 cases in the area for at least 14 days, as also recommended by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Patients and providers are tested. The facility should develop a policy addressing testing and screening of elective surgery patients and health care workers. If patients test positive, the surgery should be delayed until the patient is no longer infectious. A new ASA statement on perioperative testing for COVID-19 provides further explanation.

Personal protective equipment (PPE), staff, and medical supplies are adequate. The facility should ensure staff levels and supplies are adequate – including PPE, beds, ICU, and ventilators – to treat elective surgery patients without resorting to a crisis-level standard of care.

Development of a surgery prioritization policy. Facilities should form a committee – including surgery, anesthesiology and nursing leadership – to develop a policy that factors in previously canceled and postponed cases, and allot block time for priority cases, such as cancer and living donor organ transplants.

Creation of a COVID-19 surgical care plan. The ASA recommends health care facilities adopt COVID-19-related policies that address the five phases of surgical care, from preoperative to post-discharge care planning.

Clearly, the ability to resume these procedures will vary by outbreak activity in the geographic location as well as the health care system capacity. The many health care professionals who have been furloughed in the midst of COVID-19 are ready to come back to work and safely provide surgical care that has been deferred. The CARES Act provides a number of mechanisms to help bridge between the national health emergency and resumption of elective procedures. Although these funding bridges provide some relief for many in health care, including physician anesthesiologist practices that employ people in a wide variety of roles, more must be done to ensure that relief funds reach the breadth of physician practices. Ensuring the viability of these practices will safeguard our workforce who deliver the vital anesthesia and critical care services that our patients depend on. All of these steps are essential to ensure the viability of health care providers and systems and, ultimately, safeguard patients while helping them receive the care they need.

Mary Dale Peterson is president, American Society of Anesthesiologists

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Will the pandemic derail medical students' career paths?

May 20, 2020 Kevin 0
…
Next

I have been thinking a lot about Dr. Lorna Breen

May 20, 2020 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: COVID, Infectious Disease, Surgery

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Will the pandemic derail medical students' career paths?
Next Post >
I have been thinking a lot about Dr. Lorna Breen

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • COVID-19 shows why we need health insurance

    Jingyi Liu, MD
  • COVID-19 proved that diverse voices make health care better

    Naprisha Taylor
  • COVID-19 becomes a magnifying glass for health disparities

    Ni-Cheng Liang, MD
  • Forgetting mental health is a miss for the Biden COVID-19 task force

    Jennifer Piel, MD, JD
  • The social determinants of health during the COVID-19 pandemic

    Heather Thompson Buum, MD
  • COVID-19 misinformation is a public health crisis

    Jacob Uskavitch

More in Physician

  • Why working in Hawai’i health care isn’t all paradise

    Clayton Foster, MD
  • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

    Patrick Hudson, MD
  • Why compassion—not credentials—defines great doctors

    Dr. Saad S. Alshohaib
  • Why Canada is losing its skilled immigrant doctors

    Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD
  • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

    Maureen Gibbons, MD
  • Why screening for diseases you might have can backfire

    Andy Lazris, MD and Alan Roth, DO
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • How community paramedicine impacts Indigenous elders

      Noah Weinberg | Conditions
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight

      Marco Benítez | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Who will train the next generation of primary care clinicians without physician mentorship? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • The CDC’s restructuring: Where is the voice of health care in the room?

      Tarek Khrisat, MD | Policy
    • Choosing between care and country: a dual citizen’s Independence Day reflection

      Kathleen Muldoon, PhD | Policy
    • What Elon Musk and Diddy reveal about the price of power

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Conditions
    • 3 tips for using AI medical scribes to save time charting

      Erica Dorn, FNP | Tech

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 5 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • How community paramedicine impacts Indigenous elders

      Noah Weinberg | Conditions
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight

      Marco Benítez | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Who will train the next generation of primary care clinicians without physician mentorship? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • The CDC’s restructuring: Where is the voice of health care in the room?

      Tarek Khrisat, MD | Policy
    • Choosing between care and country: a dual citizen’s Independence Day reflection

      Kathleen Muldoon, PhD | Policy
    • What Elon Musk and Diddy reveal about the price of power

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Conditions
    • 3 tips for using AI medical scribes to save time charting

      Erica Dorn, FNP | Tech

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

The safe return to elective surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic is vital for the economic viability of health systems
5 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...