Risk management and patient safety professionals are facing more pressure and new strains on already taxed resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. As hospitals and healthcare systems actively respond, these leaders are tasked with ensuring the safety of patients, residents, and staff as shortages of life-saving medical technology, including ventilators, and personal protective equipment (PPE) abound. They must take an enterprise risk management approach to ensure protection of the organizations' financial, human, and infrastructure resources. As the virus’ rapid spread continues and more staff are infected, the pressure to do more with less only intensifies.
ECRI brings together technology and safety expertise to support your initiatives. The depth and breadth of our medical technology experience enables us to provide guidance for your device challenges. Our expert research and advice address a wide range of risk factors—including the emergency preparedness and infection prevention guidance and tools that we are offering below for free public access. Additional comprehensive content is available on our membership websites. Please contact us to learn more.
Key resources for risk management
- Your Questions Answered: Get answers to your frequently asked questions for COVID-19 relating to clinical, infection prevention, patient safety, and supply chain concerns.
- COVID-19: The Mental Health Effects in Aging Care: Join leadership from ECRI and LeadingAge PA as they discuss how to prevent the harmful side-effects such as depression which can result from prolonged isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Coronavirus Support Product Equivalents: Best matches for the three most popular air clearance units, breathing circuits, disinfecting wipes, HME filters, IV solutions, and universal transfer media. Proprietary database includes manufacturer name, catalog number, percentage match, median price, and KPI details.
- COVID-19 Lab Webcast | Using Anesthesia Units for Patient Ventilators: View a recording of our April 7, 2020, live-streamed lab webcast, to understand how anesthesia units can be used for ICU ventilation with planning, how you should prepare to utilize anesthesia units for ICU ventilation, including sources and supplies, and where to find detailed guidance.
- Clinical Evidence Assessment | Infrared Temperature Screening to Identify Potentially Infected Staff or Visitors Presenting to Healthcare Facilities during Infectious Disease Outbreaks: ECRI’s evidence review indicates Infrared Temperature screening is ineffective for detecting infected persons. Using this approach to reduce infection risk from visitors and staff could provide a false sense of safety.
- Clinical Evidence Assessment | Infection Risk from Scrubs Worn Outside Patient Care Settings: This report focuses on assessing evidence to determine whether wearing scrubs outside patient care settings and returning to the care setting increases the risk of transmitting infections.
- Webinar Recording | Combating COVID-19 Together: This webinar is design to assist healthcare professionals assess their preparedness in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Disinfectant Concentrations and Contact Times for EPA's List of Products Effective against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the Cause of COVID-19: This table lists disinfectant concentrations and contact times for EPA's List N, which covers antimicrobial products effective against novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. This will help you ensure you're using an effective disinfectant at a sufficient concentration and contact time to kill SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19.
Resources for healthcare professionals
Our free resources include emergency preparedness and infection control guidelines, checklists, and tools; supply chain resources, and guidance for aging care facilities. Additional resources and services are available through ECRI’s membership programs. Contact us today to learn more.
* All material in this COVID-19 Resource Center, https://www.ecri.org/coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak-preparedness-center/, is protected by copyright, and all rights are reserved under international and Pan-American copyright conventions. However, in light of current circumstances, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ECRI will permit the ECRI content accessible from this COVID-19 Resource Center to be reproduced and shared, in whole or in part, for non-commercial purposes only. If you desire to reproduce or share content from third-party sources cited within this Center, you must first seek approval from that third-party source.