Write an interview. You interviewed a doctor who has been posted to serve in a covid ward in a government hospital and spoke to him about his family, feelings for the country, for his patients, responsibilities and duties, motivation and his tips to stay healthy.
Answers
Answer:
Hospital Experiences Responding to the COVID-19
Pandemic: Results of a National Pulse Survey
March 23–27, 2020
Purpose of the Review
This review provides the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other decision-makers (e.g., State
and local officials and other Federal agencies) with a national snapshot of hospitals’ challenges and needs in
responding to the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This is not a review of HHS response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. We have collected this information as an aid for HHS as it continues to lead efforts to
address the public health emergency and support hospitals and other first responders. In addition, hospitals
may find the information about each other’s strategies useful in their efforts to mitigate the challenges they are
facing.
The hospital input that we describe reflects their experiences and perspectives at a point in time—March 23–27,
2020. The pandemic is fast-moving, as are the efforts to address it. We recognize that HHS, Congress, and other
government entities across the Federal, State, local, and Tribal levels are taking substantial actions on a continual
basis to support hospitals in responding to COVID-19. HHS has already taken and continues to take actions
related to each of the challenges that hospitals identified in our survey, and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security (CARES) Act provides the basis for additional actions. We present this information for HHS’s
and other decision-makers’ consideration as they continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Takeaway
Hospitals reported that their most significant challenges centered on testing and caring for patients with known
or suspected COVID-19 and keeping staff safe. Hospitals also reported substantial challenges maintaining or
expanding their facilities’ capacity to treat patients with COVID-19. Hospitals described specific challenges,
mitigation strategies, and needs for assistance related to personal protective equipment (PPE), testing, staffing,
supplies and durable equipment; maintaining or expanding facility capacity; and financial concerns.
How OIG Did This Review
This information is based on brief telephone interviews (“pulse surveys”) conducted March 23–27, 2020, with
hospital administrators from 323 hospitals across 46 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, that were
part of our random sample. Our rate of contact was 85 percent. Interviews focused on three key questions:
1. What are your most difficult challenges in responding to COVID-19?
2. What strategies is your hospital using to address or mitigate these challenges?
3. How could government best support hospitals responding to COVID-19?
Respondent hospitals included Special Pathogen Centers, critical access hospitals, and a range of hospitals
nation-wide of various sizes and characteristics. At the time of our surveys, most hospitals reported they were
treating patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, but some were not currently treating any patients with
confirmed or suspected COVID-19. (See Methodology on pages 18–20 for additional information.)