COVID-19 Supply Chain FAQs–Your Questions Answered

Useful resources on telehealth include:

• CCHP Center for Connected Health Policy: Includes telehealth definitions, policies, research reports, facts sheets etc.
• ATA–American Association of Telemedicine COVID-19 Resource Center

• Make sure that equipment is properly decontaminated in a manner that will not cause damage. Work with your suppliers and infection preventionists to ensure that your equipment is properly cleaned and disinfected per policy and manufacturers’ recommendations. This must be done between uses/patients, when leaving clinical care areas for service or maintenance, and when entering your facility (e.g., returning from external servicing or newly purchased/rented/borrowed).
• Protect your staff with proper PPE and training if they are interacting with equipment – as stated below, it’s safest to assume that all equipment is contaminated
• Maintain a good inventory and equipment distribution plan, so that you know that devices are in the right place for patient care.

To protect your staff, it's safest to assume that incoming equipment is contaminated, whether it comes from outside your facility or even from a patient care area. Make sure that PPE, materials and space are available to enforce cleaning and disinfecting of incoming equipment per policy, especially in areas like ED or OR where equipment may enter the facility.

If you are treating a contagious or suspected contagious patient, full isolation in a negative pressure isolation room is the best option, regardless of whether procedures are likely to create aerosols—a patient's cough alone is enough to spread the virus.

Providers are anticipating that it will take weeks to months before they are able to acquire PPE from traditional suppliers.

55% of member providers are experiencing price gouging.

• Allocation of product
• Price Gouging, Shipping Delays
• Fraudulent Product

• Unsure if the company is reputable
• Excessive upfront payment required
• Excessive price per unit

• Functional Equivalence
• FDA approval
• Cost Per Unit

The top three PPE product categories in stock are:

• Exam Gloves
• IV Solutions
• Airway Clearance Units

The top three PPE product categories experiences out of stock and shortages are:

• Isolation Gowns
• N-95 Respirators
• Surgical Masks

Yes, please refer to ECRI’s COVID-19 Resource Center and Lab Webcast: Device Guidance Series.

Yes, please refer to ECRI’s COVID-19 Resource Center and Lab Webcast: Device Guidance Series.

Yes, the non-traditional supplier list can be found on to ECRI’s COVID-19 Resource Center.

Yes, shortages are occurring for the following items: test kits, swabs, nasal swabs, breathing circuits, forehead thermometers, universal transfer media, and IV extension sets.

No, Level 3 surgical masks should not be used as a replacement for N95 masks. Please follow the CDC guidelines found here:

• CDC Recommended Guidance
• CDC Respirator Use FAQs

Yes, ECRI offers a go-to directory of alternative suppliers organized by equipment type.

We haven't seen price increases to date with our members' incumbent vendors, but increased prices are likely with new vendors. ECRI will be trending on a go-forward basis. If you see price–gauging you should report it to your state’s attorney general; their offices are investigating these claims.

While single-use items marketed as sterile or clean can be trusted to be so while still in their protective packaging, incoming capital equipment should be assumed to be contaminated and be properly cleaned and disinfected during incoming inspection.

Higher than normal shrinkage rates on PPE products have been reported to ECRI.

Yes, ECRI staff continues to focus its efforts on providing healthcare professionals and healthcare organizations with the most current information on COVID-19. Please visit ECRI's COVID-19 Response Center and Events page for new information and future webinars.