Self assessment tool to guide benchmarking of rural pathways and determine progress towards implementation of actions to train and support rural health workers – applying the Rural Pathways Checklist to action
Daily Archives: 11 May 2020
Guidelines for quarantine and isolation – South Africa
GPs are being encouraged to recommend remote messaging services such as Docly to their patients to avoid face-to-face contact unless absolutely necessary, therefore reducing the risk of coronavirus transmission. Covid-19 presents an immediate and pressing challenge to the NHS. Many GP practices are straining to deliver services because of illness; due to two-week self-isolation because of exposure to suspected coronavirus cases; and because of the need for high-risk groups of healthcare professionals to social distance, meaning they cannot continue to work in the usual way. As the pandemic continues – creating pressure on both demand and supply across healthcare provision – the strain on NHS frontline services will continue to dramatically increase. There are positives to be gained from the situation, however. The move to online consultations in recent weeks has shown that fast and scalable solutions are available and can help to ease the strain on GP practices.
It is a well-known story. Disease epidemics by their nature sweep through countries, exposing underlying weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and, in the process, eventually revealing inequalities in access to healthcare and means of protection. Our challenge in African countries with the Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic is how to change these threats into opportunities so that we could be better prepared to manage our response to this pandemic, and also to prepare for the next and possibly worse infectious disease
Dr Daniel Wilson (Dan) is a Rural Generalist trainee with ACRRM and Board Director at Rural Doctors Association Victoria (RDAV). Dan is passionate about improving the delivery of healthcare for rural Australians, currently working in the Grampians region with interest areas of chronic disease, medical education, Women’s Health and LGBTIQ+ sexual health. We caught up with Dan to see how he is coping with the impact that COVID-19 is having on the frontline…
Valuable evidenced based work
With few definitive studies published but volumes of information being circulated, these organizations have formulated interim guidance for managing patients with COVID-19 infections. Sponsoring Organizations: American Thoracic Society (ATS), Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and Society for Critical Care Medicine (SCCM)
While modelling predictions1 suggest that uncontrolled or even partially mitigated COVID-19 epidemics in high-income countries could lead to substantial excess mortality, the virus’ impact on people living in low-income settings or affected by humanitarian crises could potentially be even more severe.
Whatever our situation as healthcare professionals—good pacing, refreshment, and support will be key to surviving the long road ahead Here in the UK we have been in lockdown for over six weeks and our personal and professional lives have changed immeasurably. We are starting to face the reality that our lives may never return to “normal.” As healthcare professionals caring for doctors, we are impressed by how our profession has adapted to the new order. However, we are also noticing many of our colleagues, ourselves included, struggling to absorb the enormous changes forced upon us over the last two months.
These Treatment Guidelines have been developed to inform clinicians how to care for patients with COVID-19. Because clinical information about the optimal management of COVID-19 is evolving quickly, these Guidelines will be updated frequently as published data and other authoritative information becomes available. The recommendations in these Guidelines are based on scientific evidence and expert opinion. Each recommendation includes two ratings: a letter (A, B, or C) that indicates the strength of the recommendation and a Roman numeral (I, II, or III) that indicates the quality of the evidence that supports the recommendation