Twenty-six more medical and surgical societies and healthcare associations have endorsed guidelines for the safe return of medtech company representatives to healthcare facilities during the coronavirus pandemic.
The guidance, released in May by AdvaMed, the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and the American Hospital Association (AHA), builds on the April 17 joint statement by AHA, AORN, the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Anesthesiologists on the resumption of elective surgeries.
The guidance outlines ways to support the collaboration between healthcare personnel and medtech representatives as healthcare facilities consider when and how to safely resume elective surgeries paused during the pandemic.
Several medical device companies, especially those in orthopedics, have suffered major drops in sales since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recommended in March that healthcare providers postpone elective procedures until further notice to preserve personal protective equipment. The CMS decision followed one by the American College of Surgeons calling for hospitals to “minimize, postpone or cancel” elective procedures until the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak slows down.
The new guidance seeks to align access standards and processes across healthcare facilities, with principles and considerations rooted in guidance from the the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the FDA, and state and local authorities. It also meets the AdvaMed code of ethics, according to the trade organization.
The recommended framework calls for hospitals to be the primary provider of personal protective equipment (PPE), so healthcare providers have priority. It also allows company reps to provide their own PPE as a back-up for emergency procedures.
By | MassDevice
Image Credit: / MassDevice
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