On April 22, Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Amy Acton, MD, MPH, announced an order that directs physicians in hospitals and outpatient surgery centers to reassess procedures and surgeries that were postponed by a previous ODH order issued on March 17, 2020. The purpose of the original order was to preserve personal protective equipment (PPE) and hospital bed capacity.
“Because of Ohio’s hard work to flatten the curve and because of our health care system’s efforts to come together to meet community needs as a team, we have prevented the massive spike of cases that we feared,” said Governor DeWine. “We must now begin the gradual, multi-phased process of reopening, and my first concern is the patients who have had procedures and surgeries delayed.”
The new order directs healthcare professionals to review any postponed procedures or surgeries with their patients. Doctors and patients should consider the current health situations and make a joint decision about whether or not to proceed. New or other chronic conditions that may have a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life should also be evaluated.
The order also requires that patients be informed of the risk of contracting COVID-19 and the impact during the post-operative recovery process.
“Resuming elective surgeries and procedures will take clinical judgment, and we will rely on our healthcare professionals to make responsible decisions as we move forward,” said Gov. DeWine. “Patients must have the information necessary to make informed decisions and must pay greater attention to the effectiveness of non-surgical options.”