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PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PLANNING CHECKLIST FOR MEDICAL OFFICES AND CLINICS
Planning for pandemic influenza is critical for ensuring a sustainable healthcare response.
The following checklist is designed to help medical offices and clinics assess and improve
their preparedness for responding to an influenza pandemic.
Note: The items in this checklist are generic and may not be applicable to all settings.
PLAN FOR THE IMPACT OF AN INFLUENZA PANDEMIC ON YOUR MEDICAL OFFICE OR CLINIC
Incorporate pandemic influenza into emergency management planning for your medical office or clinic
Establish a pandemic committee to specifically address pandemic influenza preparedness for your medical office or clinic. Members of the committee should include persons from administration, medical staff, nursing,
reception, environmental services, clinic personnel etc.
Identify a pandemic influenza response coordinator with responsibility for coordinating preparedness planning
for the medical office or clinic
Identify an internal or external point of contact for questions/consultation on infection control measures to
prevent transmission of pandemic influenza
Identify a person responsible for monitoring public health advisories and informing members of the pandemic
influenza committee and/or the pandemic influenza response coordinator when Bermuda is at increased risk
of pandemic influenza
Determine the minimum number and categories of personnel necessary to keep the office/clinic open on any
given day
Plan ways to manage staff shortages within your medical office or clinic due to illness in personnel or their
family members
Plan for either closing the office/clinic or recruiting temporary personnel during a staffing crisis if feasible
Estimate consumable resource needs (e.g. masks, gloves, hand hygiene products, medical supplies).
Develop a plan to address supply shortages. Consider stockpiling at least a week?s supply of consumable
resources, when there is evidence that Bermuda is at increased risk of pandemic influenza
PLAN FOR SURVEILLANCE AND DETECTION OF PANDEMIC INFLUENZA IN PERSONNEL AND THE POPULATION SERVED
Develop a system to monitor and review influenza activity in patients cared for by clinical staff and among medical office or clinic staff
Develop a system to report unusual cases of influenza-like illness and influenza to the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, Department of Health
Develop a system for evaluating symptomatic personnel before they report for duty
PLAN FOR TRIAGE AND MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS DURING A PANDEMIC
Reinforce Standard and Droplet precautions for all relevant patient contact
Create a list or database with contact information on patients who have regularly-scheduled visits and may need to be contacted during a pandemic for purposes of rescheduling office visits or assigning them to other
points of care
Adapted from ?Medical Offices and Clinics Pandemic Influenza Checklist?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of Health and Human Services, USA
Planning for pandemic influenza is critical for ensuring a sustainable healthcare response.
The following checklist is designed to help medical offices and clinics assess and improve
their preparedness for responding to an influenza pandemic.
Note: The items in this checklist are generic and may not be applicable to all settings.
PLAN FOR THE IMPACT OF AN INFLUENZA PANDEMIC ON YOUR MEDICAL OFFICE OR CLINIC
Incorporate pandemic influenza into emergency management planning for your medical office or clinic
Establish a pandemic committee to specifically address pandemic influenza preparedness for your medical office or clinic. Members of the committee should include persons from administration, medical staff, nursing,
reception, environmental services, clinic personnel etc.
Identify a pandemic influenza response coordinator with responsibility for coordinating preparedness planning
for the medical office or clinic
Identify an internal or external point of contact for questions/consultation on infection control measures to
prevent transmission of pandemic influenza
Identify a person responsible for monitoring public health advisories and informing members of the pandemic
influenza committee and/or the pandemic influenza response coordinator when Bermuda is at increased risk
of pandemic influenza
Determine the minimum number and categories of personnel necessary to keep the office/clinic open on any
given day
Plan ways to manage staff shortages within your medical office or clinic due to illness in personnel or their
family members
Plan for either closing the office/clinic or recruiting temporary personnel during a staffing crisis if feasible
Estimate consumable resource needs (e.g. masks, gloves, hand hygiene products, medical supplies).
Develop a plan to address supply shortages. Consider stockpiling at least a week?s supply of consumable
resources, when there is evidence that Bermuda is at increased risk of pandemic influenza
PLAN FOR SURVEILLANCE AND DETECTION OF PANDEMIC INFLUENZA IN PERSONNEL AND THE POPULATION SERVED
Develop a system to monitor and review influenza activity in patients cared for by clinical staff and among medical office or clinic staff
Develop a system to report unusual cases of influenza-like illness and influenza to the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, Department of Health
Develop a system for evaluating symptomatic personnel before they report for duty
PLAN FOR TRIAGE AND MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS DURING A PANDEMIC
Reinforce Standard and Droplet precautions for all relevant patient contact
Create a list or database with contact information on patients who have regularly-scheduled visits and may need to be contacted during a pandemic for purposes of rescheduling office visits or assigning them to other
points of care
Adapted from ?Medical Offices and Clinics Pandemic Influenza Checklist?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of Health and Human Services, USA