CMS Issues Updated Infection Control Guidance for Inpatient & Outpatient Care

On April 8, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the agency has issued a series of updated guidance documents focused on infection control to prevent the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in a variety of inpatient and outpatient care settings. The updates aim to help clinicians in a variety of healthcare setting prevent and mitigate spread of the novel coronavirus.

CMS states that the guidance, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, will help ensure infection control in a wide range of areas, according to the agency, including: of patient triage, screening and treatment, the use of alternate testing and treatment sites and telehealth, drive-through screenings, limiting visitations, cleaning and disinfection guidelines, staffing, and more.

Read CMS press release.

For hospitals, psychiatric hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), the revised guidance, for example, provides expanded recommendations on screening and visitation restrictions, discharge to subsequent care locations for patients with COVID-19, recommendations related to staff screening and testing, and return-to-work policies.

In addition, for hospitals and CAHs, the revised guidance on the Emergency Medical Labor and Treatment Act (EMTALA) includes a detailed discussion of: patient triage, appropriate medical screening and treatment; the use of alternate testing sites; telehealth; and appropriate medical screening examinations performed at alternate screening locations, which are not subject to EMTALA, as long as the national emergency remains in force.

Find latest CMS updates (dated 4/8/20) to guidance documents on infection control here (listed under Clinical & technical guidance.)

Posted 4/8/2020