In this episode of GuideWire, Devin Hubbard with FastTraCS talks to Dr. Rob Lampman about his experiences managing COVID-19 patients and the directions of hospital medicine post-COVID. What was in short supply and what changes in practice are expected?

Dr. Lampman is a hospitalist at UNC and member of the FastTraCS Clinical Advisory Group.  He reflects on predictions he set for medical supplies, such as disposable stethoscopes, masks, and face shields. 

Today’s Topics Include:

• PPE: Sometimes there were enough masks and gowns, sometimes not—wash, reuse
• Masks: About 90% of people fit into standard N95, and 10% wear a non-traditional size
• Hot Zone Containment Area: Different hospitals did different things to adapt
• Unexpected Shortages: Different every day/week—testing swabs, wipes, OR gowns
• Kudos to College Kids: Chapel Hill hit less hard because community wore masks
• Organizational and Operational Changes: Willingness toward telehealth, other barriers
• Capacity: Exposed limitations when population grew, but number of hospital beds did not
• Mobile and Home Healthcare: Shrink, package, and make technologies easier to use
• Policy and Licensing: Federal and local laws should change because of pandemic
• Turnaround Time: Tests/results were disrupted due to direction, trajectory of stressors
• Haves and Have Nots: COVID highlighted disparities in access and quality in everything
• COVID Changes: Medicare and other payers need to support medical care in U.S.

Links and Resources:

Devin Hubbard

Dr. Rob Lampman - FastTraCS Clinical Advisory Group

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

FastTraCS

GuideWire Podcast on Twitter

GuideWire Podcast

Quotes:

“On the inpatient side, it felt like we were kind of living on the edge. It felt like some days we had enough N95s that fit and sometimes we didn’t.”

“Inside the hospital, honestly, it seemed like we were playing Whac-A-Mole.”

“Don’t waste your crisis.”

“You’re going to have to change the model of how we deliver some of this care, and I think it’s going to have to create some flexibility.”