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Alternative Care Sites During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Policy Implications for Pandemic Surge Planning
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 July 2021
Abstract
Alternative care sites (ACS) across the United States were widely underutilized during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, while the volume and severity of COVID-19 cases overwhelmed health systems across the United States. The challenges presented by the pandemic have shown the need to design surge capacity principles with consideration for demand that strains multiple response capabilities. We reviewed current policy and previous literature from past ACS as well as highlighted challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, to make recommendations that can inform future surge capacity planning. Our recommendations include: (1) Preparedness actions need to be continuous and flexible; (2) staffing needs must be met as they arise with solutions that are specific to the pandemic; 3) health equity must be a focus of ACS establishment and planning; and (4) ACS should be designed to function without compromising safe and effective care. A critical opportunity exists to identify improvements for future use of ACS in pandemics.
- Type
- Report from the Field
- Information
- Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 16 , Issue 6 , December 2022 , pp. 2673 - 2675
- Copyright
- © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.
References
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