Optimizing the operation of an electrodiagnostic laboratory during the COVID-19 pandemic: A 6-month single-center experience.
Publication/Presentation Date
9-1-2021
Abstract
INTRODUCTION/AIMS: The initial surge of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in early 2020 led to widespread cancellation of elective medical procedures in the United States, including nonurgent outpatient and inpatient electrodiagnostic (EDx) studies. As certain regions later showed a downtrend in daily new cases, EDx laboratories have reopened under the guidance of the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM). In our reopening experience guided by the AANEM, we measured relevant outcomes to determine further workflow adaptations. We aimed to detail our experience and share the lessons learned.
METHODS: We reviewed the clinical volumes, billing data, diagnosis distributions, and rates of COVID-19 exposure and transmission among patients and staff in our EDx laboratory during the first 6 months of reopening, starting on June 1, 2020. For context, we detailed the recent AANEM guidelines we adopted at our laboratory, supplemented by other consensus statements.
RESULTS: We completed 816 outpatient studies from June 1 to December 1, 2020, reaching 97% of the total volume and 97% of total billing compared with the same time period in 2019. The average relative value units per study were similar. There were no major shifts in diagnosis distributions. We completed 10 of 12 requested inpatient studies during this period. There were no known COVID-19 transmissions between patients and staff.
DISCUSSION: Our experience suggests that it is possible to safely operate an EDx laboratory under the guidance of the AANEM and other experts, with clinical volume and billing rates comparable to pre-pandemic baselines.
Volume
64
Issue
3
First Page
361
Last Page
364
ISSN
1097-4598
Published In/Presented At
Lau, K. H. V., Kaku, M. C., Marks, A., Tang, C., Zhou, L., & Siao, P. (2021). Optimizing the operation of an electrodiagnostic laboratory during the COVID-19 pandemic: A 6-month single-center experience. Muscle & nerve, 64(3), 361–364. https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.27352
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
34131929
Department(s)
Department of Medicine
Document Type
Article