key: cord-1010166-kfoo5cp7
authors: Guzman‐Prado, Yuli; Vita, Roberto; Ben Shimol, Jennifer
title: Developing a toolkit to navigate clinical, educational and research practice during the COVID‐19 pandemic
date: 2020-08-15
journal: Int J Clin Pract
DOI: 10.1111/ijcp.13676
sha: 32ff63c3e0c1ec687a6b88efb9cd8daeef7f777c
doc_id: 1010166
cord_uid: kfoo5cp7

We read with interest the recent paper published by Khusid et al (1), highlighting the effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on resident well‐being and educational outcomes. We too have sensed the urgent need for adapting clinical, educational and scientific practice to appropriately attend to the public health crisis. As stated by the authors (1), significant changes have been reported in the structure of academic centers with an important impact on the daily practice of health professionals including resident physicians. Accordingly, teaching hospitals have cancelled academic meetings and many clinicians and investigators may consider it not feasible to follow the rigorous procedures set by research regulation in order to carry out research activities in the context of the pandemic (2).

structure of academic centers with an important impact on the daily practice of health professionals including resident physicians. Accordingly, teaching hospitals have cancelled academic meetings and many clinicians and investigators may consider it not feasible to follow the rigorous procedures set by research regulation in order to carry out research activities in the context of the pandemic (2).

Unprecedented changes in clinical practice, including infrastructural adaptations, new multidisciplinary algorithms and suspending non-urgent outpatient visits have taken place in health care units around the world in order to cope with the increasing demand of patients (3). The available time and resources for academic and research activities is severely limited. In parallel with modifications to clinical practice, both educational and research activities need to be re-organized in order to face the challenges of this global public health emergency while ensuring workers' health and patients' well-being and safety. We would like to delineate the fundamental elements that should be adapted in order to best assist the development of academic activities and the advancement of science during this critical time (Table 1) .

Firstly, in order to appropriately attend to the routine clinical, educational and research practices, administrative procedures should be streamlined and paperwork minimized to deliver high quality care while at the same time reducing any delays in attending to patients. To do so, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency is of utmost importance. In particular, it is essential that the medical system fosters multi-departmental collaboration to facilitate health-care processes and meet the diverse needs of patients. 

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved Thirdly, implementing monitoring strategies for detecting and verifying the adequacy of personal protective equipment (PPE) to better ensure frontline workers' safety. Of note, individual's perception of having inadequate safety equipment has been shown to have a significant impact on mental health (4).

Fourthly, the implementation of SARS-CoV-2 testing of both symptomatic and asymptomatic health-care providers including resident physicians and clinical research staff could reduce transmission to patients/participants (5) .

Facilitating clinical, educational and research practice requires innovation, flexibility, process improvements and co-operation among clinicians/researchers, professors/trainees, patients/participants and policymakers to tackle the incredible impact of this pandemic. 

Well-Being and Education of Urology Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of an American National Survey

Key words to be adopted for COVID-19 research: A return to simple, large, randomized trials

Cardiac patient care during a pandemic: how to reorganise a heart failure unit at the time of COVID-19

The impact of having inadequate safety equipment on mental health

COVID-19: the case for health-care worker screening to prevent hospital transmission