Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: Review of guidelines for resuming non-urgent imaging and procedures in radiology during Phase II

Abstract

Since the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was designated as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, health care systems have been forced to adapt rapidly to defer less urgent care during the crisis. The United States (U.S.) has adopted a four-phase approach to decreasing and then resuming non-essential work. Through strong restrictive measures, Phase I slowed the spread of disease, allowing states to safely diagnose, isolate, and treat patients with COVID-19. In support of social distancing measures, non-urgent studies were postponed, and this created a backlog. Now, as states transition to Phase II, restrictions on non-essential activities will ease, and radiology departments must re-establish care while continuing to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission all while accommodating this backlog. In this article, we propose a roadmap that incorporates the current practice guidelines and subject matter consensus statements for the phased reopening of non-urgent and elective radiology services. This roadmap will focus on operationalizing these recommendations for patient care and workforce management. Tiered systems are proposed for the prioritization of elective procedures, with physician-to-physician communication encouraged. Infection control methods, provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), and physical distancing measures are highlighted. Finally, changes in hours of operation, hiring strategies, and remote reading services are discussed for their potential to ease the transition to normal operations.

Declining interest in clinical imaging during the COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis of Google Trends data

“…However, our analysis has future implications as clear strategies for the most effective use of healthcare resources in coming months are not yet well developed. 14 Our study has limitations. First, public interest as expressed in search engine volume is not meant to substitute for traditional clinical data and recorded procedure numbers.…”

Challenges in Neuroimaging in COVID-19 Pandemia

“…Once the peak of the pandemic has passed, the most emphasized recommendation for Radiology departments has been to recover activity in a tiered manner (13)(14)(15)(34)(35)(36). The postponed examinations should be re-scheduled following the degrees of priority established during the peak of the pandemia (13)(14)(15).…”

“…General measures to avoid the transmission of Covid-19 have still been recommended in this phase and are likely to be necessary for some time (35). For example, the obligatory use of masks and enforcing of social distancing in the hospital, the use of PPE for health workers and the increased disinfection and ventilation of imaging suites.…”

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnostic technologies: A country-based retrospective analysis of screening and containment procedures during the first wave of the pandemic

“…Even still, chest CT can be read within minutes of acquisition [ 33 ], making it the most rapidly available screening tool for diagnosing COVID-19. However, institutions must consider that CT suite sanitization protocols can take up to an hour, and screening with advanced imaging places technologists and other staff at risk for nosocomial transmission [ 34 , 35 ]. In this review, we examine implementation of these diagnostic technologies in resource-driven healthcare environments using a targeted, country-centered approach.…”