Preparing for Swine Flu: a check list.
Friday, September 18th, 2009
Forgive me if this adds to H1N1 hype. For those of you who feel that forewarned is forearmed, here is a simple check list to help your practice in what could be a busy influenza season, both with seasonal influenza and “swine flu.”
- Lay in a supply of alcohol based hand sanitizer and surgical masks. Have signs on your office door along with a supply of both, advising patients with flu symptoms to use them.
- Remove non-essential items such as toys and magazines from the waiting areas and exam rooms. These can serve as a mechanism to transmit the viruses.
- Have a place were symptomatic patients are separated from other patients. Some practices triage over the phone and have symptomatic patients enter through a different door and go directly to an exam room.
- Encourage staff AND their families to get influenza vaccines.
- Have a plan so employees can work from home if possible.
- Cross train employees to cover for each other.
- Have a defined sick policy. The federal government is recommending those with suspected or confirmed H1N1 stay at home for seven days or until they are well, whichever is longer. (See flu.gov.)
- Physicians should develop a plan of what to do if they are sick. (My group, ExtraMD, has already been called in to fill in for one doc out with the flu.)
- Have a plan of how your practice will handle extra patients. Consider finding an extra practitioner temporarily, or sending patients to another office.
- Current recommendation on treatment: (verify this for yourself, please) tamiflu for those hospitalized with suspected or confirmed influenza, those with high risk from complications, e.g. children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, pregnant women, those with chronic medical/immunosuppresive conditions. Start monotherapy with tamiflu within 48 hours of onset of symptoms.
Hope that helps. Take good care of yourselves–doctors are people too!