Staying separate together

“These are systems that can be used globally in order to minimize contact among patients and medical personnel and also significantly reduce the use of personal protective equipment (PPE),” Dr Ahn explains. “The drive-through screening stations have been very effective during the recent pandemic, enabling large-scale screening within a limited time. This approach is also being used in other countries, and the ISO standards will provide a clear structure for how all countries and health organizations can plan and prepare for such emergencies.”

A vital requirement being considered by the working group is the importance of keeping patients separated from each other, as well as from the medical staff providing the tests and treatment. The standards will cover negative pressurized medical containers (NPMCs), in which the path between healthcare worker and patient is completely separated. NPMCs prevent cross-infection by directing airflow away from the worker towards the patient. Diagnoses are conducted through intercoms, without direct physical contact. Filtered air prevents the outflow of pathogens and allows specimen collection rooms to operate as separate environments.

What’s more, a strict reservation system can be used to prevent cross-infection during medical emergencies, Dr Ahn points out. People can reduce the time of exposure to contamination at the walk- and drive-through testing sites by filling out their details online before appearing in person for the test. “With the higher volume of patients during a pandemic, the first phases of testing can be undertaken remotely, which makes the walk- and drive-through process faster, safer and easier when done on a massive scale.”

Tackling challenges  

A further challenge faced by healthcare organizations during pandemic emergencies is how to quickly provide additional hospital beds. The working group will also focus its efforts on a framework for residential treatment centres (RTCs). RTCs have been used in South Korea as temporary triage hospitals that treat patients with mild symptoms who are not able to return home. Hospitals and other facilities can then be kept free for more serious medical issues.

The goal of this standard will be to ensure that a country’s healthcare capacity can be more responsive and flexible during a pandemic, using time and resources more effectively and leading to better patient management. Dr Ahn notes that if healthcare organizations and governments work collaboratively with private industry, RTC facilities and building conversions can go a long way to improving emergency preparedness and response.