TY - JOUR
T1 - Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic by the Spine Division at a Level-I Academic Referral Center
AU - Dekeyser, Graham J.
AU - Brodke, Darrel S.
AU - Saltzman, Charles L.
AU - Lawrence, Brandon D.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
PY - 2020/12/15
Y1 - 2020/12/15
N2 - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a ubiquitous health concern and a global pandemic. In an effort to slow the disease spread and protect valuable healthcare resources, cessation of nonessential surgery, including many orthopaedic procedures, has become commonplace. This crisis has created a unique situation in the care of spine patients as we must balance the urgency of patient evaluation, surgical intervention, and continued training against the risk of disease exposure and resource management. The spine division of an orthopaedic surgery department has taken an active role in enacting protocol changes in anticipation of COVID-19. In the initial 4 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic the spine division went from an average of 60.4 cases to 10 cases during the same timeframe. Clinic visits decreased from 417.4 to 322 with new patient visits decreasing from 28% to 20%. Three hundred eighteen of the 322 (98.7%) clinic visits were performed via telehealth. Although these changes have been forced upon us by necessity, we feel that our division and department will emerge in a more responsive, agile, and stronger state. As we look to the coming months and beyond, it will be important to continue to adapt to the changing landscape during unprecedented times.
AB - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a ubiquitous health concern and a global pandemic. In an effort to slow the disease spread and protect valuable healthcare resources, cessation of nonessential surgery, including many orthopaedic procedures, has become commonplace. This crisis has created a unique situation in the care of spine patients as we must balance the urgency of patient evaluation, surgical intervention, and continued training against the risk of disease exposure and resource management. The spine division of an orthopaedic surgery department has taken an active role in enacting protocol changes in anticipation of COVID-19. In the initial 4 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic the spine division went from an average of 60.4 cases to 10 cases during the same timeframe. Clinic visits decreased from 417.4 to 322 with new patient visits decreasing from 28% to 20%. Three hundred eighteen of the 322 (98.7%) clinic visits were performed via telehealth. Although these changes have been forced upon us by necessity, we feel that our division and department will emerge in a more responsive, agile, and stronger state. As we look to the coming months and beyond, it will be important to continue to adapt to the changing landscape during unprecedented times.
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U2 - 10.5435/JAAOS-D-20-00493
DO - 10.5435/JAAOS-D-20-00493
M3 - Review article
C2 - 33278260
AN - SCOPUS:85097311288
SN - 1067-151X
VL - 28
SP - 1003
EP - 1008
JO - Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
JF - Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
IS - 24
ER -