Mass food challenges in a vacant COVID-19 stepdown facility: Exceptional opportunity provides a model for the future.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Internationally, the COVID-19 pandemic severely curtailed access to hospital facilities for those awaiting elective/semi-elective procedures. For allergic children in Ireland, already waiting up to 4 years for an elective oral food challenge (OFC), the restrictions signified indefinite delay. At the time of the initiative, there were approx 900 children on the Children's Health Ireland (CHI) waiting list. In July 2020, a project was facilitated by short-term (6 weeks) access to an empty COVID stepdown facility built, in a hotel conference centre, commandeered by the Health Service Executive (HSE), Ireland. The aim of this study was to achieve the rapid roll-out of an offsite OFC service, delivering high throughput of long waiting patients, while aligning with existing ho

SUBMITTER: Byrne AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8420236 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature