Implementation of Drive-Through Testing for COVID-19 Using an External Emergency Department Triage

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, healthcare systems in many regions of the country were being overwhelmed by large numbers of patients needing care. In this paper, we discuss use of an external emergency department (ED) site by a hospital system based in Charlotte, North Carolina to address concerns of a local surge similar to those seen around the country. OBJECTIVE: Demonstrate how expansion of ED facilities can increase efficiency of care for patients while also improving safety for clinicians, staff, and non-infected patients. METHODS: We describe development and implementation of our external ED drive-through testing sites during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected data from three external ED sites in the Atrium Health system between March 15th and April 15th, 2020. Patients were included if they were seen at one of the sites and tested for COVID-19. There were no exclusion criteria. We analyzed the data to identify any differences in patient demographics between sites. RESULTS: We saw 580 patients across the three sites, 302 of whom met criteria for COVID-19 testing. The majority of patients tested were Caucasian females. The majority who tested positive, however, were males. Thirteen patients were redirected into the hospital ED for further medical evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: External expansion of the ED is an important strategy that can allow hospitals to accommodate potentially infectious patients while maintaining appropriate isolation and rapid throughput. Proper implementation of the right system to meet hospital-specific needs can prove effective for the healthcare system.