81% of Canada’s deaths due to COVID-19 have occurred in Long Term Care facilities. Given the potential for exposure to a high viral load in an Emergency Department (ED) and the clinical evidence of iatrogenic effects associated with frail-elderly transfers to the ED (i.e. delirium, falls, nosocomial infections), Interior Health (IH) and British Columbia Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) implemented a strategy that promotes treatment-in-place in LTC for non-emergent conditions, with the goal of reducing avoidable transfers to the ED and contagion of the virus in LTC. The presentation will provide an overview of common iatrogenic health effects associated with LTC patient transfer to an ED setting, clinical pathways to support treatment-in-place, stakeholder engagement and implementation strategy, and results and lessons learned to date.
