Government watchdog says hospitals cutting imaging, using makeshift x-ray rooms to cope with COVID-19
A government watchdog is shining light on some of the equipment shortages hospital radiology departments are facing during the pandemic, and how they’re working to keep stakeholders safe.
The Office of the Inspector General report, released April 3, is based on phone interviews with 323 hospital leaders across nearly every state. Those interviewed pinpointed dwindling PPE and other supplies as a key challenge during their pandemic response—contradicting assertions made by the White House.
“Hospitals said that severe shortages of testing supplies and extended waits for test results limited hospitals' ability to monitor the health of patients and staff,” the OIG wrote in a summary of the report. “They also reported that widespread shortages of personal protective equipment put staff and patients at risk.”
Other common conundrums included “substantial challenges” maintaining and expanding capacity to care, with inadequate staffing levels contributing to the problem. Hospital leaders, as such, are worried about being overwhelmed if they experience a surge of patients.
To cope with the PPE shortfall and reduce the risk of exposure, hospitals are eliminating imaging exams, elective surgeries, physical therapy and other nonurgent care. They’re taking a range of actions to maintain social distancing, including turning ambulance bays into respiratory assessment units with portable x-ray machines, hoping to keep unscreened patients out of busy emergency departments.
“To manage patient flow and hospital capacity, some hospitals were providing ambulatory care for patients with less severe symptoms, telehealth services when possible, and setting up alternate facilities such as fairgrounds, and non-operating college dorms and closed correctional facilities as additional space for patient care,” OIG reported.
President Donald Trump has expressed doubts about provider PPE shortages during recent news briefings, and blasted the report on Monday, Politico reported.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.