Developing an Outpatient Pediatric Pre-Procedure COVID-19 Testing Model

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to design, develop, implement, and manage a sustainable process for pediatric preoperative COVD-19 testing and use the test results to determine the level of personal protective equipment and infection control required for each patient for optimal surgical scheduling and preservation of resources. DESIGN: This quality improvement project used the Plan-Do-Study-Act methodology. Multiple cycles of re-evaluation refined this process which was standardized across the enterprise. METHODS: A process for preoperative testing for all patients undergoing procedures requiring anesthesia was developed and implemented. FINDINGS: A safe, feasible, timely process was developed and piloted to obtain COVID-19 test results to guide individualized interventions. During the pilot, 1,707 patients were screened, and five tested positive for COVID-19, eliminating the need to manage 1702 patients as COVID-19 positive. CONCLUSION: To continue to safely re-open, knowledge of the patient's COVID-19 status is imperative to ensure a safe journey through the perioperative area.