COVID-19 Drive-Through Testing Implementation
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COVID-19 Drive-Through Testing Implementation across the Mayo Clinic Enterprise
The Transmission of COVID-19 significantly increased across the United States and globally in the spring of 2020. The pandemic escalated the need for drive through testing at Mayo Clinic to reduce the spreading of COVID-19 in the clinical setting.Other institutions across the country achieved success by implementing drive-through processes to collect COVID-19 specimens for testing. To align strategies across the enterprise, Mayo’s Health Incident Command System (HICS) recommended standing up drive-through collection sites in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.
Testing is critical to flatten the curve. In order to maximize the impact of testing, the immediate launch and implementation of drive-through processes were needed to collect COVID-19 specimens for testing.
Recognizing variation exists across each Mayo Clinic site, an initial set of workflows for the drive-through collection sites was developed. ME&C Health Systems Engineers partnered with teams at each site to formalize the workflows and address potential gaps prior to finalization. Since site implementations were staggered, lessons learned from each implementation were incorporated into subsequent implementations. Given the evolving COVID-19 situation, work teams were prepared to make rapid adjustments, test systems and processes, and ensure patients and staff received clear and concise communication on all operational changes.
Rapid concept to deployment was achieved within seven days which included Simulation Center dry runs as well as soft launches. This significantly and positively impacted patient and provider safety and satisfaction.