In our work across the country, we are witnessing health care systems in different stages of the Covid-19 pandemic that are trying to address the backlog of elective or nonurgent surgical procedures that were postponed during the initial wave of the pandemic. To safely address it and prepare for future needs to adapt care and priorities based on the ongoing pandemic, systems need to recognize that basic human factors, exacerbated by Covid-19, can threaten the safety of patients and staff and then develop strategies to mitigate them. They include the following:
How to Safely Restart Elective Surgeries After a Covid Spike
Four ways health systems can mitigate the hazards of delayed treatment.
November 19, 2020
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Summary.
The pandemic has wreaked havoc with health care systems’ surgical staffs. Some clinicians are fatigued and stressed, and many are out of practice. They are having to contend with large backlogs of procedures that were postponed. And they have to contend with the ongoing pandemic, with all its uncertainties. To keep surgical staffs and patients safe during these difficult times, health systems should take four steps: make risk visible; ensure that staffs are abiding by existing procedures and protocols and adopting new ones when the need arises; double down on efforts to address psychological safety and the added stress; and be transparent and account for the current environment.
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Leading People. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
What you need to know about being in charge.