The American College of Emergency Physicians sent Congress and other policymakers a set of policy changes that would help mitigate the novel coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.
The policy changes proposed by the association fall into three main buckets:
• Providing access to care for those infected or suspected to be infected
• Securing an adequate workforce
• Ensuring adequate resource allocation
The recommended changes include implementing alternative testing sites for faster, more cost-effective testing and to help free up hospital capacity; prioritizing availability of personal protective equipment for emergency workers and other frontline healthcare workers; and ensuring full payer coverage of testing and diagnosis.