The plan comprises the detailed policies and procedures successfully implemented to the group's dialysis clinics across the world to protect renal patients, healthcare professionals and manage the COVID-19 pandemic...
"We consider it our duty of care to share our knowledge and experience in managing the COVID-19 pandemic with the global nephrology community and the national healthcare systems. The battle against COVID-19 is a collective endeavour, and we hope that the hard work and knowledge of our global clinical teams will be beneficial for other clinicians and renal patients around the world", commented Dimitris Moulavasilis, CEO of Diaverum Group.
Haemodialysis patients are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 due to advanced average age, multiple comorbidities, a weakened immune system and some are particularly fragile. Besides, social circumstances also increase risk as they have to travel three times a week to receive dialysis treatment making adequate social isolation challenging. Health professionals are also at increased risk of contracting this disease.
Diaverum operates in 22 countries and four continents with very different realities. Faced with this new situation, we started to prepare early in January with the disease arriving in Europe.
According to the Diaverum contingency plan, the clinics operate with new stringent protocols to minimise the risk of contagion, allow for quick identification of patients or staff with symptoms and ensure the right referral of each case.
Strict measures are in place to keep patients at a safe distance from each other and avoid unnecessary interactions between patients or patients and staff. These measures include cancelling unnecessary activities, establishing different entry and exit patient routes, ensuring appropriate patient distance in waiting areas and revisiting patient transportation conditions.
Moreover, rigorous triage procedures were introduced to identify suspected patients before entering the clinic, while clinics were prepared to treat patients with COVID-19 in safe, isolated and controlled environments.
The shared contingency plan includes all the policies and procedures implemented in the areas of patient transportation, triage implementation, waiting areas, treatment room, COVID-19 positive patients' treatment, human resources capacity, correct use of personal protective equipment, patient and staff education, supplies management, cleaning procedures.
It also includes a 76 points framework to ensure compliance.
For more information download the full report here or click the link below.