making a decision to reopen

New 6/3/20!

Link here for: IOPC Guidance/Recommendation for Models of Care During the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic.

Executive Summary 

·      This document outlines the benefits of neuropsychological (NP) assessment, the risks of conducting NP assessments in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and reviews the options for conducting NP exams in several ways, including standard in-person, mitigated in-person, in-clinic TeleNP, remote/home TeleNP.

·      Given wide regional variation in community risks of coronavirus infection/ transmission, and wide variation in patient risk characteristics and practice settings, no uniform guidance or set of recommendations is likely to be appropriate across clinical settings, and “hybrid” or “blended” models may best balance risks and benefits. 

·      The guidance includes strategies for selecting the most appropriate model for a given patient, taking into account four levels of patient risk stratification: urgency of care, symptom acuity, health risk factors for COVID-19, and incremental validity of the proposed assessment technique.  Level of community risk and the concept of stepped models of care are also utilized in the proposed decision making process. 

·      The document provides links to governmental agency and professional organization resources for mitigating risk of virus transmission during in-person patient encounters, as well as an outline/ discussion of essential infection mitigation processes based on  commonalities across various federal, state, local, and professional organization recommendations.

·      Models for informed consent procedures and suggestions for documentation are also included.

Training

Safely re-opening your neuropsychology practice webinar: IOPC/National register/Trust.

With social distance restrictions being lifted in some states in the context of no vaccine and likely second waves of infections, decisions to re-open practices for in-person visits are complex. This webinar, presented by IOPC and the Trust/National Register helps neuropsychologists identify areas of risk management, think through specific models of practice, and provides resources for managing patient and provider safety. Margaret Lanca, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, and Daniel Taube, JD, Ph.D., American Insurance Trust Risk Management Team.

Link to recorded webinar and CE opportunity through AACN Here.

National Register link: Link Here to listen to the webinar on the National Register website ($10 fee to listen, no CE available)

NavNeuro Podcast Interview

NEW! 5/27/20. NavNeuro interview with Dr. Laura Lacritz.  Drs. Jone Bellone and Ryan Van Patten, of NavNeuro fame, have interviewed Dr. Laura Lacritz who is on the front lines of returning to in-person assessment in the context of the gradual lifting of social distance measures during the pandemic.

johns Hopkins Operations Toolkit for businesses considering reopening

This is a very helpful toolkit that includes a risk calculator and specific mitigation strategies.