Healthcare personnel early return-to-work program after higher-risk SARS-CoV-2 exposure: A learning health system quality improvement project - 28/04/22
Highlights |
• | Employees can safely return-to-work with a quarantine period of 7 days. |
• | A total of 97% of asymptomatic employees were eligible to return-to-work on day 8. |
• | Asymptomatic testing on day 5-7 may avoid further transmission events. |
• | Early return-to-work program increased staff availability and/or reduced workforce burden. |
• | Flex asymptomatic testing for 7-day quarantine period just during pandemic surge. |
Résumé |
Background |
Incidence of health care personnel (HCP) with a higher-risk SARS-CoV-2 exposure and subsequent 14-day quarantine period adds substantial burden on the workforce. Implementation of an early return-to-work (RTW) program may reduce quarantine periods for asymptomatic HCP and reduce workforce shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods |
This observational quality improvement study included asymptomatic HCP of a multi-facility health care system with higher-risk workplace or non-household community SARS-CoV-2 exposure ≤4 days. The program allowed HCP to return to work 8 days after exposure if they remained asymptomatic through day 7 with day 5-7 SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification test result negative.
Results |
Between January 4 and June 25, 2021, 384 HCP were enrolled, 333 (86.7%) remained asymptomatic and of these, 323 (97%) tested negative and were early RTW eligible. Mean days in quarantine was 8.16 (SD 2.40). Median day of early RTW was 8 (range 6-9, IQR 8-8). Mean days saved from missed work was 1.84 (SD 0.52). A total of 297 (92%) HCP did RTW ≤10 days from exposure and days saved from missed work was 546.48.
Conclusions |
Implementing an HCP early RTW program is a clinical approach for COVID-19 workplace safety that can increase staffing availability, while maintaining a low risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Key words : Workforce shortages, Health care capacity, Quarantine period, SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification testing
Plan
Conflicts of interest: None of the authors received any payments or influence from a third-party source for the work presented. |
Vol 50 - N° 5
P. 542-547 - mai 2022 Retour au numéroBienvenue sur EM-consulte, la référence des professionnels de santé.