The Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health has released a report on and decision tool for quarantining patients.
Quarantining patients who may have infectious diseases may prevent the introduction, transmission and spread of communicable diseases but it can also be a bureaucratic nightmare since quarantine laws vary across state borders and scientific evidence supporting the use of quarantine is lacking, according to the report.
The practice is also the subject of debate regarding the infringement of civil liberties, human rights abuses and public safety. These highlight the importance of having a precise meaning for the term "quarantine" and data to support its use.
To help policy makers and public health officials apply medically defensible, outcomes-based data to their decision to quarantine as a way of managing an infectious disease, the Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health has provided a decision tree tool.
Access the quarantine and isolation decision tree here.
Note: View our database providing more than 150 reports that link to free, downloadable and adaptable tools for use in surgery centers, hospitals and other organizations by clicking here.
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