What is RapidInfo4U?

Question

• What is the current best practice when working as a CBT therapist in primary care?
• In light of the new strains of Covid 19 and the most recent information, is it still recommended to wear a face shield and maintain 2 metres distance from the patient?
• What is a safe session duration?

Short Answer

Recent updates of Irish guidance have reiterated that masks must be worn in healthcare facilities when a distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained. However, the guidance does not specifically address if masks need to be worn if persons are greater than 2 metres apart. Surgical masks are recommended for health workers within primary care practices while face coverings are recommended for patients entering a primary care practice. An updated rapid evidence summary by the HSPC indicates that face coverings are preferable to visors/shields to reduce transmission of COVID-19, though the evidence is of low quality. However, there are circumstances where a face covering may not be appropriate and may affect quality of care. In these circumstances a visor/shield may be used provided that it extends from above the eyes to below the chin and from ear-to-ear. The role of room ventilation is increasingly acknowledged and some guidance exists on increasing ventilation though this is dependent on context. Recommendations are not made about safe session duration.

Click here for long answer

The content of this document is correct as of 02/02/2021.

Question

How can a person who is a ‘close contact’ without their own transport safely travel to a COVID-19 testing centre? Are there any specific arrangements for students or healthcare workers? Can they use public transport, taxi or is there any arrangement with the ambulance centre to support this? 

Short Answer

A person who is a ‘close contact’, without their own car, should ask one person that they live with to drive them to the testing centre. If the ‘close contact’ does not live with anyone who has a car they should ask someone who they have been in close contact with very recently to drive them. They should follow the HSE guidance on how to safely travel in a car in such a circumstance. A person who is a close contact should not use public transport, this includes using a taxi service. There are no special arrangements in place for students or healthcare workers.

The content of this document is correct as of 10/11/2020.

QUESTION

Do I need to wear a mask if maintaining a 2m distance in a treatment room while delivering face-to-face CBT in Primary Care?

Short answer

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has recommended that healthcare workers use a surgical mask for all patient care activities when a safe distance (2m) cannot be maintained. This implies that when a 2m distance can be maintained a mask is not necessary. However, the NPHET guidance does not state this explicitly and does not address the issues of room size/occupancy or duration of contact. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control considers maintaining a 2m distance in a closed environment, such as a treatment room, as low-risk for exposure to COVID-19. The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre state that in low-risk circumstances, where wearing a mask may impact on patient care, a clear face visor is an acceptable alternative.

The content of this document is correct as of 30/09/2020.

These documents were used to answer this question:

1. Health Protection Surveillance Centre (2020). Interim Guidance on Infection Prevention and Control for the Health Service Executive 2020 v1.2. HSE: September 2020.
2. Health Protection Surveillance Centre (2020). Guiding principles for Infection Prevention and Control when returning to routine General Practice during pandemic COVID-19 v2.1. HSE: July 2020.
3. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2020). Public health management of persons having had contact with cases of novel coronavirus in the European Union. ECDC: February 2020.

Dr Liz Kingston, member of the RapidInfo4U Panel of Experienced Clinicians and Lecturer at the University of Limerick, with a clinical speciality in infection prevention and control, was consulted to answer this question.

Guidance from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for discharge and ending isolation in the context of widespread community transmission of COVID-19

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, speaking on the need to protect, care and support older populations on April 2nd 2020.

Watch video and read transcript here

HSE guidance regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation & DNAR decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic

See HSE website here for other resources regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation & DNAR decision-making

The HSE Library has created an evidence summary document to answer the questions:

-What is the best evidence on care pathways for patients with COVID-19?

-What care pathways or models of care have been implemented internationally for COVID-19 suspected or confirmed positive patients?

This guidance has been developed to support nurses practicing within areas such as general practice, extended hours and out of hours who are being asked to treat patients via a telephone or video or through other remote consultation when they would normally see them face to face.

Click here for guidance.

Click here for Royal College of Nursing guidance and general principles to support you in your ongoing care delivery.

Click here for clinical information and key resources from the Royal College of Nursing to support your understanding of COVID-19 and to help you manage the disease.  

The type of PPE you need will depend on the environment you work in and the procedures you carry out. Read the Royal College of Nursing guidance on PPE here.

The HSE Library has created an evidence summary document to answer the question: What is the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the mental health of elderly nursing home residents? To view the summary click here

Infection Prevention and Control guidance is constantly evolving to take new COVID-19 evidence and WHO guidance into consideration.

The AMRIC team has been providing educational webinars to make sure that front line staff have access to factual, clear and practical information to make it easier for staff to implement the COVID-19 infection control guidance.

Click here to be brought to the HSE Infection Prevention and Control guidance website to view the AMRIC webinars.

Shu-Ching, C.H.E.N., Yeur-Hur, L.A.I. and Shiow-Luan, T.S.A.Y., 2020. Nursing Perspectives on the Impacts of COVID-19. Journal of Nursing Research, 28(3), p.e85.

This commentary article discusses nursing’s contribution to the pandemic and outlines the key challenges faced by nursing professionals during COVID-19.

Click here for article

Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) provides a list of resources for guidance and advice to assist in navigating the current COVID-19 crisis.

Click here to go to their dedicated COVID-19 webpage.

This guidance is to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This information is to support staff working in community services on issues that have or may arise in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak for people living with dementia at home. The information below should be read in conjunction with official guidance on www.hpsc.ie and

This guidance should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This Advance Care Plan algorithm provides guidance to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This guidance is to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

Question

• What is the current best practice when working as a CBT therapist in primary care?
• In light of the new strains of Covid 19 and the most recent information, is it still recommended to wear a face shield and maintain 2 metres distance from the patient?
• What is a safe session duration?

Short Answer

Recent updates of Irish guidance have reiterated that masks must be worn in healthcare facilities when a distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained. However, the guidance does not specifically address if masks need to be worn if persons are greater than 2 metres apart. Surgical masks are recommended for health workers within primary care practices while face coverings are recommended for patients entering a primary care practice. An updated rapid evidence summary by the HSPC indicates that face coverings are preferable to visors/shields to reduce transmission of COVID-19, though the evidence is of low quality. However, there are circumstances where a face covering may not be appropriate and may affect quality of care. In these circumstances a visor/shield may be used provided that it extends from above the eyes to below the chin and from ear-to-ear. The role of room ventilation is increasingly acknowledged and some guidance exists on increasing ventilation though this is dependent on context. Recommendations are not made about safe session duration.

Click here for long answer

The content of this document is correct as of 02/02/2021.

Question

How can a person who is a ‘close contact’ without their own transport safely travel to a COVID-19 testing centre? Are there any specific arrangements for students or healthcare workers? Can they use public transport, taxi or is there any arrangement with the ambulance centre to support this? 

Short Answer

A person who is a ‘close contact’, without their own car, should ask one person that they live with to drive them to the testing centre. If the ‘close contact’ does not live with anyone who has a car they should ask someone who they have been in close contact with very recently to drive them. They should follow the HSE guidance on how to safely travel in a car in such a circumstance. A person who is a close contact should not use public transport, this includes using a taxi service. There are no special arrangements in place for students or healthcare workers.

The content of this document is correct as of 10/11/2020.

QUESTION

Do I need to wear a mask if maintaining a 2m distance in a treatment room while delivering face-to-face CBT in Primary Care?

Short answer

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has recommended that healthcare workers use a surgical mask for all patient care activities when a safe distance (2m) cannot be maintained. This implies that when a 2m distance can be maintained a mask is not necessary. However, the NPHET guidance does not state this explicitly and does not address the issues of room size/occupancy or duration of contact. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control considers maintaining a 2m distance in a closed environment, such as a treatment room, as low-risk for exposure to COVID-19. The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre state that in low-risk circumstances, where wearing a mask may impact on patient care, a clear face visor is an acceptable alternative.

The content of this document is correct as of 30/09/2020.

These documents were used to answer this question:

1. Health Protection Surveillance Centre (2020). Interim Guidance on Infection Prevention and Control for the Health Service Executive 2020 v1.2. HSE: September 2020.
2. Health Protection Surveillance Centre (2020). Guiding principles for Infection Prevention and Control when returning to routine General Practice during pandemic COVID-19 v2.1. HSE: July 2020.
3. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2020). Public health management of persons having had contact with cases of novel coronavirus in the European Union. ECDC: February 2020.

Dr Liz Kingston, member of the RapidInfo4U Panel of Experienced Clinicians and Lecturer at the University of Limerick, with a clinical speciality in infection prevention and control, was consulted to answer this question.

Guidance from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for discharge and ending isolation in the context of widespread community transmission of COVID-19

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, speaking on the need to protect, care and support older populations on April 2nd 2020.

Watch video and read transcript here

HSE guidance regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation & DNAR decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic

See HSE website here for other resources regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation & DNAR decision-making

The HSE Library has created an evidence summary document to answer the questions:

-What is the best evidence on care pathways for patients with COVID-19?

-What care pathways or models of care have been implemented internationally for COVID-19 suspected or confirmed positive patients?

This guidance has been developed to support nurses practicing within areas such as general practice, extended hours and out of hours who are being asked to treat patients via a telephone or video or through other remote consultation when they would normally see them face to face.

Click here for guidance.

Click here for Royal College of Nursing guidance and general principles to support you in your ongoing care delivery.

Click here for clinical information and key resources from the Royal College of Nursing to support your understanding of COVID-19 and to help you manage the disease.  

The type of PPE you need will depend on the environment you work in and the procedures you carry out. Read the Royal College of Nursing guidance on PPE here.

The HSE Library has created an evidence summary document to answer the question: What is the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the mental health of elderly nursing home residents? To view the summary click here

Infection Prevention and Control guidance is constantly evolving to take new COVID-19 evidence and WHO guidance into consideration.

The AMRIC team has been providing educational webinars to make sure that front line staff have access to factual, clear and practical information to make it easier for staff to implement the COVID-19 infection control guidance.

Click here to be brought to the HSE Infection Prevention and Control guidance website to view the AMRIC webinars.

Shu-Ching, C.H.E.N., Yeur-Hur, L.A.I. and Shiow-Luan, T.S.A.Y., 2020. Nursing Perspectives on the Impacts of COVID-19. Journal of Nursing Research, 28(3), p.e85.

This commentary article discusses nursing’s contribution to the pandemic and outlines the key challenges faced by nursing professionals during COVID-19.

Click here for article

Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) provides a list of resources for guidance and advice to assist in navigating the current COVID-19 crisis.

Click here to go to their dedicated COVID-19 webpage.

This guidance is to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This information is to support staff working in community services on issues that have or may arise in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak for people living with dementia at home. The information below should be read in conjunction with official guidance on www.hpsc.ie and

This guidance should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This Advance Care Plan algorithm provides guidance to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This guidance is to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

Question

• What is the current best practice when working as a CBT therapist in primary care?
• In light of the new strains of Covid 19 and the most recent information, is it still recommended to wear a face shield and maintain 2 metres distance from the patient?
• What is a safe session duration?

Short Answer

Recent updates of Irish guidance have reiterated that masks must be worn in healthcare facilities when a distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained. However, the guidance does not specifically address if masks need to be worn if persons are greater than 2 metres apart. Surgical masks are recommended for health workers within primary care practices while face coverings are recommended for patients entering a primary care practice. An updated rapid evidence summary by the HSPC indicates that face coverings are preferable to visors/shields to reduce transmission of COVID-19, though the evidence is of low quality. However, there are circumstances where a face covering may not be appropriate and may affect quality of care. In these circumstances a visor/shield may be used provided that it extends from above the eyes to below the chin and from ear-to-ear. The role of room ventilation is increasingly acknowledged and some guidance exists on increasing ventilation though this is dependent on context. Recommendations are not made about safe session duration.

Click here for long answer

The content of this document is correct as of 02/02/2021.

Question

How can a person who is a ‘close contact’ without their own transport safely travel to a COVID-19 testing centre? Are there any specific arrangements for students or healthcare workers? Can they use public transport, taxi or is there any arrangement with the ambulance centre to support this? 

Short Answer

A person who is a ‘close contact’, without their own car, should ask one person that they live with to drive them to the testing centre. If the ‘close contact’ does not live with anyone who has a car they should ask someone who they have been in close contact with very recently to drive them. They should follow the HSE guidance on how to safely travel in a car in such a circumstance. A person who is a close contact should not use public transport, this includes using a taxi service. There are no special arrangements in place for students or healthcare workers.

The content of this document is correct as of 10/11/2020.

QUESTION

Do I need to wear a mask if maintaining a 2m distance in a treatment room while delivering face-to-face CBT in Primary Care?

Short answer

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has recommended that healthcare workers use a surgical mask for all patient care activities when a safe distance (2m) cannot be maintained. This implies that when a 2m distance can be maintained a mask is not necessary. However, the NPHET guidance does not state this explicitly and does not address the issues of room size/occupancy or duration of contact. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control considers maintaining a 2m distance in a closed environment, such as a treatment room, as low-risk for exposure to COVID-19. The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre state that in low-risk circumstances, where wearing a mask may impact on patient care, a clear face visor is an acceptable alternative.

The content of this document is correct as of 30/09/2020.

These documents were used to answer this question:

1. Health Protection Surveillance Centre (2020). Interim Guidance on Infection Prevention and Control for the Health Service Executive 2020 v1.2. HSE: September 2020.
2. Health Protection Surveillance Centre (2020). Guiding principles for Infection Prevention and Control when returning to routine General Practice during pandemic COVID-19 v2.1. HSE: July 2020.
3. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2020). Public health management of persons having had contact with cases of novel coronavirus in the European Union. ECDC: February 2020.

Dr Liz Kingston, member of the RapidInfo4U Panel of Experienced Clinicians and Lecturer at the University of Limerick, with a clinical speciality in infection prevention and control, was consulted to answer this question.

Guidance from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for discharge and ending isolation in the context of widespread community transmission of COVID-19

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, speaking on the need to protect, care and support older populations on April 2nd 2020.

Watch video and read transcript here

HSE guidance regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation & DNAR decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic

See HSE website here for other resources regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation & DNAR decision-making

The HSE Library has created an evidence summary document to answer the questions:

-What is the best evidence on care pathways for patients with COVID-19?

-What care pathways or models of care have been implemented internationally for COVID-19 suspected or confirmed positive patients?

This guidance has been developed to support nurses practicing within areas such as general practice, extended hours and out of hours who are being asked to treat patients via a telephone or video or through other remote consultation when they would normally see them face to face.

Click here for guidance.

Click here for Royal College of Nursing guidance and general principles to support you in your ongoing care delivery.

Click here for clinical information and key resources from the Royal College of Nursing to support your understanding of COVID-19 and to help you manage the disease.  

The type of PPE you need will depend on the environment you work in and the procedures you carry out. Read the Royal College of Nursing guidance on PPE here.

The HSE Library has created an evidence summary document to answer the question: What is the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the mental health of elderly nursing home residents? To view the summary click here

Infection Prevention and Control guidance is constantly evolving to take new COVID-19 evidence and WHO guidance into consideration.

The AMRIC team has been providing educational webinars to make sure that front line staff have access to factual, clear and practical information to make it easier for staff to implement the COVID-19 infection control guidance.

Click here to be brought to the HSE Infection Prevention and Control guidance website to view the AMRIC webinars.

Shu-Ching, C.H.E.N., Yeur-Hur, L.A.I. and Shiow-Luan, T.S.A.Y., 2020. Nursing Perspectives on the Impacts of COVID-19. Journal of Nursing Research, 28(3), p.e85.

This commentary article discusses nursing’s contribution to the pandemic and outlines the key challenges faced by nursing professionals during COVID-19.

Click here for article

Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) provides a list of resources for guidance and advice to assist in navigating the current COVID-19 crisis.

Click here to go to their dedicated COVID-19 webpage.

This guidance is to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This information is to support staff working in community services on issues that have or may arise in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak for people living with dementia at home. The information below should be read in conjunction with official guidance on www.hpsc.ie and

This guidance should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This Advance Care Plan algorithm provides guidance to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This guidance is to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

Question

• What is the current best practice when working as a CBT therapist in primary care?
• In light of the new strains of Covid 19 and the most recent information, is it still recommended to wear a face shield and maintain 2 metres distance from the patient?
• What is a safe session duration?

Short Answer

Recent updates of Irish guidance have reiterated that masks must be worn in healthcare facilities when a distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained. However, the guidance does not specifically address if masks need to be worn if persons are greater than 2 metres apart. Surgical masks are recommended for health workers within primary care practices while face coverings are recommended for patients entering a primary care practice. An updated rapid evidence summary by the HSPC indicates that face coverings are preferable to visors/shields to reduce transmission of COVID-19, though the evidence is of low quality. However, there are circumstances where a face covering may not be appropriate and may affect quality of care. In these circumstances a visor/shield may be used provided that it extends from above the eyes to below the chin and from ear-to-ear. The role of room ventilation is increasingly acknowledged and some guidance exists on increasing ventilation though this is dependent on context. Recommendations are not made about safe session duration.

Click here for long answer

The content of this document is correct as of 02/02/2021.

Question

How can a person who is a ‘close contact’ without their own transport safely travel to a COVID-19 testing centre? Are there any specific arrangements for students or healthcare workers? Can they use public transport, taxi or is there any arrangement with the ambulance centre to support this? 

Short Answer

A person who is a ‘close contact’, without their own car, should ask one person that they live with to drive them to the testing centre. If the ‘close contact’ does not live with anyone who has a car they should ask someone who they have been in close contact with very recently to drive them. They should follow the HSE guidance on how to safely travel in a car in such a circumstance. A person who is a close contact should not use public transport, this includes using a taxi service. There are no special arrangements in place for students or healthcare workers.

The content of this document is correct as of 10/11/2020.

QUESTION

Do I need to wear a mask if maintaining a 2m distance in a treatment room while delivering face-to-face CBT in Primary Care?

Short answer

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has recommended that healthcare workers use a surgical mask for all patient care activities when a safe distance (2m) cannot be maintained. This implies that when a 2m distance can be maintained a mask is not necessary. However, the NPHET guidance does not state this explicitly and does not address the issues of room size/occupancy or duration of contact. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control considers maintaining a 2m distance in a closed environment, such as a treatment room, as low-risk for exposure to COVID-19. The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre state that in low-risk circumstances, where wearing a mask may impact on patient care, a clear face visor is an acceptable alternative.

The content of this document is correct as of 30/09/2020.

These documents were used to answer this question:

1. Health Protection Surveillance Centre (2020). Interim Guidance on Infection Prevention and Control for the Health Service Executive 2020 v1.2. HSE: September 2020.
2. Health Protection Surveillance Centre (2020). Guiding principles for Infection Prevention and Control when returning to routine General Practice during pandemic COVID-19 v2.1. HSE: July 2020.
3. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2020). Public health management of persons having had contact with cases of novel coronavirus in the European Union. ECDC: February 2020.

Dr Liz Kingston, member of the RapidInfo4U Panel of Experienced Clinicians and Lecturer at the University of Limerick, with a clinical speciality in infection prevention and control, was consulted to answer this question.

Guidance from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for discharge and ending isolation in the context of widespread community transmission of COVID-19

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, speaking on the need to protect, care and support older populations on April 2nd 2020.

Watch video and read transcript here

HSE guidance regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation & DNAR decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic

See HSE website here for other resources regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation & DNAR decision-making

The HSE Library has created an evidence summary document to answer the questions:

-What is the best evidence on care pathways for patients with COVID-19?

-What care pathways or models of care have been implemented internationally for COVID-19 suspected or confirmed positive patients?

This guidance has been developed to support nurses practicing within areas such as general practice, extended hours and out of hours who are being asked to treat patients via a telephone or video or through other remote consultation when they would normally see them face to face.

Click here for guidance.

Click here for Royal College of Nursing guidance and general principles to support you in your ongoing care delivery.

Click here for clinical information and key resources from the Royal College of Nursing to support your understanding of COVID-19 and to help you manage the disease.  

The type of PPE you need will depend on the environment you work in and the procedures you carry out. Read the Royal College of Nursing guidance on PPE here.

The HSE Library has created an evidence summary document to answer the question: What is the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the mental health of elderly nursing home residents? To view the summary click here

Infection Prevention and Control guidance is constantly evolving to take new COVID-19 evidence and WHO guidance into consideration.

The AMRIC team has been providing educational webinars to make sure that front line staff have access to factual, clear and practical information to make it easier for staff to implement the COVID-19 infection control guidance.

Click here to be brought to the HSE Infection Prevention and Control guidance website to view the AMRIC webinars.

Shu-Ching, C.H.E.N., Yeur-Hur, L.A.I. and Shiow-Luan, T.S.A.Y., 2020. Nursing Perspectives on the Impacts of COVID-19. Journal of Nursing Research, 28(3), p.e85.

This commentary article discusses nursing’s contribution to the pandemic and outlines the key challenges faced by nursing professionals during COVID-19.

Click here for article

Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) provides a list of resources for guidance and advice to assist in navigating the current COVID-19 crisis.

Click here to go to their dedicated COVID-19 webpage.

This guidance is to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This information is to support staff working in community services on issues that have or may arise in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak for people living with dementia at home. The information below should be read in conjunction with official guidance on www.hpsc.ie and

This guidance should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This Advance Care Plan algorithm provides guidance to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This guidance is to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

Question

• What is the current best practice when working as a CBT therapist in primary care?
• In light of the new strains of Covid 19 and the most recent information, is it still recommended to wear a face shield and maintain 2 metres distance from the patient?
• What is a safe session duration?

Short Answer

Recent updates of Irish guidance have reiterated that masks must be worn in healthcare facilities when a distance of 2 metres cannot be maintained. However, the guidance does not specifically address if masks need to be worn if persons are greater than 2 metres apart. Surgical masks are recommended for health workers within primary care practices while face coverings are recommended for patients entering a primary care practice. An updated rapid evidence summary by the HSPC indicates that face coverings are preferable to visors/shields to reduce transmission of COVID-19, though the evidence is of low quality. However, there are circumstances where a face covering may not be appropriate and may affect quality of care. In these circumstances a visor/shield may be used provided that it extends from above the eyes to below the chin and from ear-to-ear. The role of room ventilation is increasingly acknowledged and some guidance exists on increasing ventilation though this is dependent on context. Recommendations are not made about safe session duration.

Click here for long answer

The content of this document is correct as of 02/02/2021.

Question

How can a person who is a ‘close contact’ without their own transport safely travel to a COVID-19 testing centre? Are there any specific arrangements for students or healthcare workers? Can they use public transport, taxi or is there any arrangement with the ambulance centre to support this? 

Short Answer

A person who is a ‘close contact’, without their own car, should ask one person that they live with to drive them to the testing centre. If the ‘close contact’ does not live with anyone who has a car they should ask someone who they have been in close contact with very recently to drive them. They should follow the HSE guidance on how to safely travel in a car in such a circumstance. A person who is a close contact should not use public transport, this includes using a taxi service. There are no special arrangements in place for students or healthcare workers.

The content of this document is correct as of 10/11/2020.

QUESTION

Do I need to wear a mask if maintaining a 2m distance in a treatment room while delivering face-to-face CBT in Primary Care?

Short answer

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has recommended that healthcare workers use a surgical mask for all patient care activities when a safe distance (2m) cannot be maintained. This implies that when a 2m distance can be maintained a mask is not necessary. However, the NPHET guidance does not state this explicitly and does not address the issues of room size/occupancy or duration of contact. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control considers maintaining a 2m distance in a closed environment, such as a treatment room, as low-risk for exposure to COVID-19. The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre state that in low-risk circumstances, where wearing a mask may impact on patient care, a clear face visor is an acceptable alternative.

The content of this document is correct as of 30/09/2020.

These documents were used to answer this question:

1. Health Protection Surveillance Centre (2020). Interim Guidance on Infection Prevention and Control for the Health Service Executive 2020 v1.2. HSE: September 2020.
2. Health Protection Surveillance Centre (2020). Guiding principles for Infection Prevention and Control when returning to routine General Practice during pandemic COVID-19 v2.1. HSE: July 2020.
3. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2020). Public health management of persons having had contact with cases of novel coronavirus in the European Union. ECDC: February 2020.

Dr Liz Kingston, member of the RapidInfo4U Panel of Experienced Clinicians and Lecturer at the University of Limerick, with a clinical speciality in infection prevention and control, was consulted to answer this question.

Guidance from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for discharge and ending isolation in the context of widespread community transmission of COVID-19

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, speaking on the need to protect, care and support older populations on April 2nd 2020.

Watch video and read transcript here

HSE guidance regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation & DNAR decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic

See HSE website here for other resources regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation & DNAR decision-making

The HSE Library has created an evidence summary document to answer the questions:

-What is the best evidence on care pathways for patients with COVID-19?

-What care pathways or models of care have been implemented internationally for COVID-19 suspected or confirmed positive patients?

This guidance has been developed to support nurses practicing within areas such as general practice, extended hours and out of hours who are being asked to treat patients via a telephone or video or through other remote consultation when they would normally see them face to face.

Click here for guidance.

Click here for Royal College of Nursing guidance and general principles to support you in your ongoing care delivery.

Click here for clinical information and key resources from the Royal College of Nursing to support your understanding of COVID-19 and to help you manage the disease.  

The type of PPE you need will depend on the environment you work in and the procedures you carry out. Read the Royal College of Nursing guidance on PPE here.

The HSE Library has created an evidence summary document to answer the question: What is the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the mental health of elderly nursing home residents? To view the summary click here

Infection Prevention and Control guidance is constantly evolving to take new COVID-19 evidence and WHO guidance into consideration.

The AMRIC team has been providing educational webinars to make sure that front line staff have access to factual, clear and practical information to make it easier for staff to implement the COVID-19 infection control guidance.

Click here to be brought to the HSE Infection Prevention and Control guidance website to view the AMRIC webinars.

Shu-Ching, C.H.E.N., Yeur-Hur, L.A.I. and Shiow-Luan, T.S.A.Y., 2020. Nursing Perspectives on the Impacts of COVID-19. Journal of Nursing Research, 28(3), p.e85.

This commentary article discusses nursing’s contribution to the pandemic and outlines the key challenges faced by nursing professionals during COVID-19.

Click here for article

Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) provides a list of resources for guidance and advice to assist in navigating the current COVID-19 crisis.

Click here to go to their dedicated COVID-19 webpage.

This guidance is to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This information is to support staff working in community services on issues that have or may arise in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak for people living with dementia at home. The information below should be read in conjunction with official guidance on www.hpsc.ie and

This guidance should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This Advance Care Plan algorithm provides guidance to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie

This guidance is to address issues specifically related to implementing COVID-19 measures for people living with dementia in residential care.

This algorithm should be read in conjunction with official HSE Guidance on hpsc.ie / hselibrary.ie