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Table 1 Major Themes

From: Care pathway and prioritization of rapid testing for COVID-19 in UK hospitals: a qualitative evaluation

Key Themes

Description

Example Quote

Decision making Problems

Problems highlighted with regards to patient flow, infection prevention and zoning classifications

We couldn’t keep them in the respiratory assessment unit because there was a flow of patients backing up in ED” P11

Testing

Current tests in use by trusts, along with considerations regarding accuracy, availability, type of test and routine screening

“we’ve got access in ED to 20 rapid tests per day [which] may come back in a couple of hours...And we try and reserve those for patients who are in particular patients who are going for urgent surgery … And the PCR will come back in several hours or possibly the next day” P10

Next Winter Season

Expected complications of diagnosing COVID-19 during the next winter season and the role and perceived use of differential testing

“...when we get to the winter, it can be extremely difficult to triage people. Because … clinically, they look the same...they will all have a temperature, they will all have a cough, some will have chest X ray changes, some won’t, and being able to cohort these people will be more difficult.” P7

Future Testing

The expected characteristics needed in future testing, along with priorities for testing in the event of a limitation in testing availability

… in terms of you asking about point of care, it has to be interfaced with our laboratory with our laboratory information management system, and EPR [Electronic Patient Record].” P2

Lessons Learned

Key lessons learned from the first wave, both positive and negative.

“[We were] using an expert panel to filter the cacophony of noise into something which was decent quality, and also had usefulness. And I think managing information flow … was probably the best thing that we did locally.” P10