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Postacute Care Preparedness for COVID-19Thinking Ahead

Educational Objective
Review the need for postacute care preparedness for the COVID-19 outbreak

1 Credit CME

JAMA

Published Online: March 25, 2020

Viewpoint

Article Information and Disclosures

David C. Grabowski, PhD¹;

Karen E. Joynt Maddox, MD, MPH^2,3,4

Author Affiliations

¹Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
²Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
³Center for Health Economics and Policy, Institute for Public Health, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
⁴Associate Editor, JAMA

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National projections suggest that hospitals may be overwhelmed with patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in the coming months. Appropriately, much attention has addressed the acute challenges in caring for this surge of critically ill patients. What has received less attention, however, is what happens as patients—most of whom will recover, even in the highest-risk groups—begin to do so. Many patients with COVID-19 will need postacute care to recuperate from their infection. However, postacute care facilities currently lack the capacity and capability to safely treat patients with COVID-19 as they transition from the hospital to other care settings or to their homes. In this Viewpoint, we present the scope of the problem and outline a series of steps that may be helpful as postacute care organizations prepare for the coming increase in patients with COVID-19.

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Article Information

Corresponding Author: David C. Grabowski, PhD, Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, 180 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115-5899 (grabowski@hcp.med.harvard.edu).

Published Online: March 25, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4686

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Grabowski reported that he receives research support from grants P01 AG032952, R01AG054656, R56AG062544, and R01AG060935 from the National Institute on Aging; the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality; the Arnold Foundation; and the Warren Alpert Foundation; serving as a paid consultant to Vivacitas; serving on the Scientific Advisory Committee for NaviHealth; and receiving fees from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and the Research Triangle Institute. Dr Joynt Maddox reported that she receives research support from grants R01HL143421 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and R01AG060935 from the National Institute on Aging; and has previously done contract work for the US Department of Health and Human Services.

References

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AMA CME Accreditation Information

Credit Designation Statement: The American Medical Association designates this Journal-based CME activity activity for a maximum of 1.00  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to:

1.00 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;;
1.00 Self-Assessment points in the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery’s (ABOHNS) Continuing Certification program;
1.00 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;
1.00 Lifelong Learning points in the American Board of Pathology’s (ABPath) Continuing Certification program; and
1.00 CME points in the American Board of Surgery’s (ABS) Continuing Certification program

It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting MOC credit.