Rationing With Respect to Age During a Pandemic: A Comparative Analysis of State Pandemic Preparedness Plans.

BACKGROUND: Faced with possible shortages due to COVID-19, many states updated or rapidly developed crisis standards of care (CSCs) and other pandemic preparedness plans (PPPs) for rationing resources, particularly ventilators. RESEARCH QUESTION: How have US states incorporated the controversial standard of rationing by age and/or life-years into their pandemic preparedness plans? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This was an investigator-initiated, textual analysis conducted from April to June 2020, querying online resources and in-state contacts to identify PPPs published by each of the 50 states and for Washington, DC. Analysis included the most recent versions of CSC documents and official state PPPs containing triage guidance as of June 2020. Plans were categorized as rationing by (A) short-term survival (≤ 1 year), (B) 1 to 5 expected life-years, (C) total life-years, (D) "fair innings," that is, specific age cutoffs, or (O) other. The primary measure was any use of age and/or life-years. Plans were further categorized on the basis of whether age/life-years was a primary consideration. RESULTS: Thirty-five states promulgated PPPs addressing the rationing of critical care resources. Seven states considered short-term prognosis, seven considered whether a patient had 1 to 5 expected life-years, 13 rationed by total life-years, and one used the fair innings principle. Seven states provided only general ethical considerations. Seventeen of the 21 plans considering age/life-years made it a primary consideration. Several plans borrowed heavily from a few common sources, although use of terminology was inconsistent. Many documents were modified in light of controversy. INTERPRETATION: Guidance with respect to rationing by age and/or life-years varied widely. More than one-half of PPPs, many following a few common models, included age/life-years as an explicit rationing criterion; the majority of these made it a primary consideration. Terminology was often vague, and many plans evolved in response to pushback. These findings have ethical implications for the care of older adults and other vulnerable populations during a pandemic.

Teaming in the ambulatory surgical space and crisis management strategies.

Outpatient procedures and flexible staffing models have become prevalent within the ambulatory surgical and procedural spaces of reproductive endocrinology and infertility practice. High volumes of outpatients are treated daily by rotating nurses, surgeons, and anesthesia staff, often with the added layer of trainees present. "Teaming" can allow stable units and ad hoc groups to partner better for enhanced efficiency, effectiveness, and patient experience in routine procedural activities. These skills then can be parlayed into the rare moments of crisis to improve safety outcomes. Teaming concepts, applied in routine and acute scenarios, can optimize clinical operations, patient experience, and outcomes in our reproductive endocrinology and infertility ambulatory procedural and surgical spaces.

Avoid, Trap, and Mitigate: Development of an Evidence-Based Crisis Management Framework in Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Increasingly, surgeons are adopting broader roles in emergency response, on both clinical and executive levels. These have highlighted the need to develop healthcare-specific crisis management systems. Cross-professional research between safety-critical industries is a valuable method for learning crisis control. Commercial aviation, in particular, has been used to drive innovation in surgical safety. This study aimed to identify, adapt, and operationalize a surgical crisis management framework based on current practice in commercial aviation. STUDY DESIGN: A multimethod qualitative study interrogated safety experts in commercial aviation and healthcare. Stage I used immersive observational fieldwork in commercial aviation practice. Stage II performed semi-structured interviews with senior airline pilots. "Snowball" sampling targeted professional networks, recruiting 17 pilots from 4 airlines. Thematic analysis was used to derive a model of crisis management. Stage III undertook 3 focus groups with 5 pilots and 5 healthcare safety specialists. Expert consensus methods were used to adapt the model to clinical practice. RESULTS: Interview data provided 2,698 verbatim quotes on crisis management from aviation experts with a combined flying experience of 188,000 hours. Aviation crisis management was structured in 3 phases: avoid, trap, and mitigate. Adapted to clinical practice, these translated to crisis preparedness, recovery, and containment interventions. Additionally, the study identified 7 types of implementation tools and 9 crisis management skills that could be used to operationalize this framework in surgical practice. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical crisis management can follow the avoid, trap, and mitigate framework used in commercial aviation. Implementation relies on the combined use of crisis skills and performance tools. Crisis management should be delivered as part of a systems-based approach that relies on well-integrated failure management models. Simulation and in-situ validation of this framework is needed.

Installation Management Command's COVID-19 Pandemic Efforts Rely on Multiple Collaborative Partnerships.

The Installation Management Command (IMCOM) delivers quality base support from the strategic support area, enabling readiness for a globally responsive Army. IMCOM has more than 75 installations, covering more than 13 million acres, in 17 time zones, 12 countries and 58 services. In early March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic required IMCOM to shift focus in ensuring health protection measures were implemented early and quickly, which relied on medical expertise. The IMCOM Surgeon and the Deputy Surgeon serve as the command's key advisors for all matters related to health care and medical readiness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the IMCOM Surgeon and the Deputy Surgeon were critical in the consolidation of various information from multiple organizations. They promoted the integration of force health protection principles during COVID-19 operations. All of the military members at IMCOM headquarters (HQ) were considered mission essential while other personnel were identified on a phasing structure in the early stages of the pandemic, which meant civilian personnel were instructed to telework.

Shared Surgical Decision Making in the Era of COVID-19: Lessons From Hurricane Katrina.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged every surgical discipline. Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina have informed our department's management of the current crisis. That experience impressed upon us a profound appreciation for shared decision making in the face of scarce resources, an evolving clinical context, and potential harm to patients and health care workers. To that end, we have formed a Resource Utilization Committee to prospectively review all nonemergent surgical cases during the current crisis. This has allowed "state-of-the-pandemic" otolaryngologic care in a real-time, collaborative, and high-information setting. In addition, to protect our patients and health care workers, it has influenced our institution's thoughtful application of COVID testing and the use of personal protective equipment.

Living donor program crisis management plans: Current landscape and talking point recommendations.

Although minimized by expert evaluation, operative technique, and postoperative care, the extremely low risk of perioperative mortality following living kidney or liver donation will never be eliminated. Furthermore, anticipation of poor donor outcome may simultaneously be a source of anxiety for physicians and programs and also be a circumstance for which they are unprepared. We conducted a national survey of US transplant surgeons to understand experiences with and systemic preparedness for the event of a living donor death. Respondents represented 87 unique transplant programs (71 kidney and 16 liver donor programs). Perioperative deaths were rare, as expected. Although most respondents (N = 57, 64% of total respondents; 88% of liver programs) reported being moderately to extremely concerned about a future living donor death at their institution, only 30 (33% of total program respondents) had a written plan available in the case of such an event; 63% of programs would find guidance and recommendations useful. To help address this gap, the American Society of Transplantation Live Donor Community of Practice (AST LDCOP) developed Living Donor Crisis Management Plan Talking Points suitable to guide crisis plan development at transplant programs.

Modulo Presentación: Estrategias. Recursos Humanos para la Salud Universal

Programa de Monitoreo sobre Enfermedades Crónicas No Transmisibles Es un curso para Fortalecer el sistema de atención de pacientes con enfermedades crónicas no Transmisibles, dado por el Equipo de la Secretaría de Salud Pública y Ambiente de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la UNC. y Equipo de la Red integrada de salud del Hospital Italiano de Córdoba. todas las personas, de distintas profesiones y ocupaciones, que se forman y trabajan para mejorar la salud de la población. Se incluye en este grupo a quienes trabajan como asalariados o como voluntarios en el sector público y privado.

Creating a safer operating room: Groups, team dynamics and crew resource management principles.

The operating room (OR) is a special place wherein groups of highly skilled individuals must work in a coordinated and harmonious fashion to deliver optimal patient care. Team dynamics and human factors principles were initially studied by the aviation industry to better understand and prevent airline accidents. As a result, crew resource management (CRM) training was designed for all flight personnel to create a highly reliable industry with a commitment to a culture of safety. CRM has since been adapted to health care, resulting in care improvement and harm reduction across a wide variety of medical specialties. When implemented in the OR, CRM has been shown not only to improve communication and morale for OR staff, but also reduce morbidity and mortality for patients. As increasing focus is placed on quality, safety, and high-reliability, surgeons will be expected to participate and lead efforts to facilitate a team approach in this new era of patient care.

Optimizing the Use of a Precious Resource: The Role of Emergency Physicians in a Humanitarian Crisis.

Emergency physicians (EP) are uniquely suited to provide care in crises as a result of their broad training, ability to work quickly and effectively in high-pressure, austere settings, and their inherent flexibility. While emergency medicine training is helpful to support the needs of crisis-affected and displaced populations, it is not in itself sufficient. In this article we review what an EP should carefully consider prior to deployment.

Participant evaluation of simulation training using crew resource management in a hospital setting in Hong Kong.

INTRODUCTION: A simulation team-based crew resource management training programme was developed to provide a unique multidisciplinary learning experience for health care professionals in a regional hospital in Hong Kong. In this study, we evaluated how health care professionals perceive the programme. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in the Multidisciplinary Simulation and Skills Centre at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong. A total of 55 individuals in the departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Anaesthesiology and Operating Theatre Services, Intensive Care Unit, and Accident and Emergency participated in the study between June 2013 and December 2013. The course content was specially designed according to the needs of the clinical departments and comprised a lecture followed by scenarios and debriefing sessions. Principles of crew resource management were introduced and taught throughout the course by trained instructors. Upon completion of each course, the participants were surveyed using a 5-point Likert scale and open-ended questions. RESULTS: The participant's responses to the survey were related to course organisation and satisfaction, realism, debriefing, and relevance to practice. The overall rating of the training programme was high, with mean Likert scale scores of 4.1 to 4.3. The key learning points were identified as closed-loop communication skills, assertiveness, decision making, and situational awareness. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a crew resource management simulation-based training programme is a valuable teaching tool for frontline health care staff. Concepts of crew resource management were relevant to clinical practice. It is a highly rated training programme and our results support its broader application in Hong Kong.

L'évaluation externe de l'organisation et de la prestation des soins en oncologie: revue des expériences pertinentes pour le processus d'évaluation et de désignation des établissements et des équipes interdisciplinaires de lutte contre le cancer au Québec / External evaluation of the organization and delivery of oncology care: a review of experiences relevant to the evaluation and designation process for interdisciplinary cancer teams and institutions in Quebec

INTRODUCTION: Depuis 10 ans, le cancer est la première cause de mortalité au Québec [INSPQ, 2006]. Le cancer regroupe plus de 200 maladies, avec chacune ses particularités. Bien répondre aux besoins des personnes atteintes du cancer sur un territoire aussi vaste que celui du Québec pose de nombreux défis : problèmes d'accès, variations dans les pratiques cliniques, manque de continuité et de coordination des soins et services, etc. Ces défis, qui ne sont pas uniques au Québec, sont accentués entre autres par la complexité de la prise en charge du cancer. Elle fait appel à diverses modalités thérapeutiques et à plusieurs types de soins et services. La planification et la coordination de ces services exigent la collaboration concertée de compétences diverses, de sorte qu'une approche interdisciplinaire s'avère essentielle. Pour pouvoir relever ces défis, les professionnels de la santé qui œuvrent dans le domaine de la lutte contre le cancer au Québec sont guidés par le Programme québécois de lutte contre le cancer (PQLC). Le PQLC met de l'avant une approche globale de prise en charge de la personne atteinte, un réseau intégré et hiérarchisé de soins et services basé sur des équipes interdisciplinaires, des intervenants pivots pour coordonner les services, une pratique fondée sur les données probantes et associée étroitement à la recherche clinique, de même que la participation des personnes atteintes et de leurs proches aux décisions et aux soins. Or, cinq ans après l'adoption du PQLC, un premier bilan de sa mise en œuvre sur l'ensemble du territoire a montré que des progrès plus ou moins grands selon les régions avaient été accomplis et que des efforts additionnels importants devaient être déployés pour compléter son implantation. Un groupe de travail ministériel sur le cancer chargé d'examiner comment améliorer la gestion et l'impact du PQLC a ensuite formulé un ensemble de mesures concrètes et dégagé des conditions de succès pour la mise en œuvre du PQLC. Parmi les grands axes prioritaires de son rapport figuraient la mise en place d'une organisation de services intégrés, l'optimisation des pratiques cliniques et l'amélioration continue de la qualité. Le GTMC recommandait entre autres de mettre sur pied un mécanisme de reconnaissance selon des normes de qualité explicites pour les équipes interdisciplinaires de lutte contre le cancer aux paliers local, régional et suprarégional, et d'entreprendre la désignation formelle des équipes et des établissements. MÉTHODES: La stratégie de recherche documentaire reflète les deux grandes composantes des dispositifs d'évaluation externe : le processus d'évaluation et les normes. Volet 1 : description des dispositifs d'évaluation externe de la qualité. Volet 2 : recension des normes organisationnelles de pratique. Critères de sélection. Approche utilisée pour la description et l'analyse. Limites de l'étude. CONCLUSIONS: Pour améliorer l'organisation et la prestation des soins et services aux personnes atteintes du cancer, plusieurs pays et provinces canadiennes ont élaboré des dispositifs d'évaluation externe de la qualité. De tels dispositifs peuvent être obligatoires ou volontaires et relever soit du gouvernement, soit d'un organisme indépendant, d'associations médicales ou de partenariats entre ces instances. Ils peuvent s'adresser aux équipes de professionnels, aux programmes et aux réseaux de lutte contre le cancer et (ou) aux établissements de santé. Ils peuvent porter sur les pratiques cliniques, les pratiques organisationnelles, ou les deux. Ils sont habituellement complémentaires des programmes existants d'agrément des établissements et d'accréditation professionnelle. Dans bien des cas, ils s'avèrent un levier important pour l'application des initiatives prévues au sein des stratégies de lutte contre le cancer. À la lumière de l'examen des dispositifs d'évaluation externe établis dans d'autres pays et régions, il ne fait pas de doute qu'il faut assurer la pérennité du processus d'évaluation et de désignation dans le domaine de la lutte contre le cancer. Ce processus s'est avéré un levier efficace pour promouvoir le changement organisationnel et renforcer l'implantation du Programme québécois de lutte contre le cancer (PQLC). Compte tenu de l'ampleur des transformations qu'il reste à mettre en œuvre et de l'absence d'autres dispositifs consacrés à la mise en place de réseaux sur l'ensemble du territoire, il est judicieux de maintenir ce processus tout en lui apportant des améliorations pour les prochains cycles. L'analyse effectuée dans le présent rapport permet de tirer des leçons et de formuler des propositions liées aux trois questions posées : pérennité, objectifs pour le prochain cycle et harmonisation avec les programmes reconnus d'agrément.