COVID-19 Testing Sample Acquisition Throughput and Efficiency

Purpose

This QI project seeks to evaluate the relative test sample acquisition throughput, personal protective equipment utilization, and relative operational costs of provider-administered COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) nasal samples with and with the use of HEPA-filtered, positive pressure isolation booths.

Conditions

  • SARS-CoV Infection
  • Respiratory Viral Infection
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Covid19

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
All ages
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  • All testing performed at designated outpatient SARS-CoV-2 at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) testing sites beginning March 2019.

Exclusion Criteria

  • SARS-CoV-2 tests performed not performed within designated outpatient testing sites at MGH. - Testing performed within the hospital for Emergency Department or Inpatient visits.

Study Design

Phase
Study Type
Observational
Observational Model
Other
Time Perspective
Other

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Pre-Booth Testing This cohort was comprised of samples acquired as a component of outpatient SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) testing prior to implementation of the Hexapod personal protective booths.
Post-Booth Testing This cohort was comprised of samples acquired as a component of outpatient SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) testing after implementation of the Hexapod personal protective booths.
  • Other: Personal Protective Testing Booth
    Health personnel who utilize the Hexapod will remain in the booth and utilize durable gloves attached to ports through a plexiglass wall in order to administer a nasal swab for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) testing. Patient escorts and housekeeping/sanitation staff perform additional tasks outside of the booth such as escorting the patient to the correct testing bay and dropping off testing vials and printed information, collect samples and deposit in the appropriate location after testing is complete, and sanitizing the patient bay before a subsequent patient is tested there.
    Other names:
    • Hexapod
    • HEPA Filtered Positive Pressure Testing Booth

Recruiting Locations

More Details

NCT ID
NCT04532411
Status
Completed
Sponsor
Massachusetts General Hospital

Detailed Description

Beginning in March 2020, the MGH began outpatient testing for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) utilizing a provider-administered nasal swab samples. This was administered with infection control protocols utilizing full PPE protection for health providers who would don and doff gowns and gloves with each sample acquisition. With an aim to decrease PPE usage and increase efficiency, personal protective booths with HEPA-filtered air called "Hexapods" were employed, after infection control approval, within the MGH system beginning on April 16, 2020. Ambulatory Care Management at MGH systematically monitors testing completed and PPE usage on a weekly basis. Managers in charge of personnel changes shared necessary team structures and median salaries for different personnel involved with sample acquisition. MGH Materials management were able to report on costs related to consumable supplies used during testing. In this investigation, this routinely collected data and averaged timed sample collection observations were used to compare before and after the Hexapod utilization.