The Use of a Real-Time COVID-19 Standalone Device in an Emergency Department of a Tertiary Hospital in Singapore: A Pilot Observational Study

ABSTRACT

This study describes the implementation and utility of a standalone device designed, developed, and 3D-printed by PwC Singapore and Southeast Asia Consulting as a response to Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), in the Emergency Department (ED) of the National University Hospital in Singapore. Over a 2-week period, all staff used the devices for the duration of their shifts, with the device additionally tagged to patients who were swabbed on suspicion of or surveillance for COVID-19 in the subsequent two weeks. Additional control hardware was placed in the ED to analyze (1) time-intervals of greatest interaction, (2) clusters of close physical distance among staff, (3) areas with high traffic, and (4) potential use of a rapid contact tracing capability. Time-day trends indicated the greatest interaction time-intervals during the beginning of the day, with Monday hosting the greatest average daily interactions across the first two weeks. Social cluster trends indicated the greatest average daily interactions between nurses–nurses during Phase 1, and patients–patients during Phase 2. User-location trends revealed the greatest average daily interaction counts at the intermediate care areas, isolation outdoor tent, pantry, and isolation holding units relative to other areas. Individual-level visualization and contact tracing capabilities were not utilized as nobody contracted COVID-19 during either phase. While congregation in intermediate and resuscitation areas are unavoidable within the ED context, the findings of this study were acted upon, improving social distancing within the pantry and between healthcare groups. This real-time solution addresses multiple privacy concerns while rapidly facilitating contact tracing.