Guidance for Physicians & Teams

COVID-19 Immunization Information

• COVID-19 Health Professional Immunization Information
• Vaccine Distribution Information (Government of Alberta)
• COVID-19 FAQs for Community Physicians
• Immunization Information for the Public

COVID-19 Lab Results

• Changes to COVID-19 Results Notifications: Patients Now Able to Choose a Pediatrician as Main Provider
• Memo: COVID-19 Lab Results Routed to Community Physicians

Infection, Prevention & Control

• Community Physician COVID-19 Screening and Testing Algorithm
• Masking and Eye Protection Guidance in Community Physician Settings during COVID-19
• Patient Refusal to Wear Face Coverings during COVID-19
• Contact & Droplet Precautions for Isolation Rooms
• Environmental Cleaning Guidelines
• IPC Emerging Issues
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Information and supports to help care providers use PPE appropriately and confidently

Patient Care

• Guideline for Monitoring and Managing COVID-19 Patients in Community
• List of Current Provincial Care Algorithms / Pathways (Links to zone-specific primary care pathways can be found under “Information for Your Zone”)
• Prescription Medications for Community Patients with COVID-19 - Recommendations for community primary care physicians and pharmacists
• Palliative & End-of-Life Care List of Resources

Testing Information

• Information on Current Testing Criteria (Government of Alberta)
• COVID-19 Collection Kit Guidance
• COVID-19 Requisition or Serology & Molecular Testing Requisition
• Latest Laboratory Bulletins

Resources for Your Practice

• Quick Guide: Resources for Primary Care to Support COVID-19 Care in Communities
• Daily Fit for Work Screening
• Return to Work Guide for Community Physicians & Teams
• Signs & Posters
• Language Line Interpretation Services
• Providing Virtual Care(Alberta Medical Association) - Information on privacy and billing codes. Resources include webinars, virtual care tools and a workflow algorithm

Emerging Evidence

• Scientific Advisory Group COVID-19 Recommendations- Emerging evidence and guidance for focused areas of healthcare in relation to COVID-19

Information to Give Patients

• Return to School Resources for Parents: Government of Alberta | Alberta Health Services
• Information for People Visiting Residents & Patients
• COVID-19 Care Instructions
• COVID-19 Patient Resources
• How to Manage COVID-19 Symptoms
• Resources for Specific Health Conditions
• Self-isolation Information
• Rehabilitation Advice Line
• Community Resources - 211 Alberta
• Mental Health Supports for Patients: Encourage patients and colleagues who are struggling to reach out to the provider or mental health professional they usually receive care from, including but not limited to their family doctor, counsellor, therapist, psychologist, nurse/nurse practitioner or social worker. Albertans can also call the Mental Health Helpline at 1-877-303-2642 for 24/7 assistance. Additionally, AHS has resources and services—Help in Tough Times, including Text4Hope, available to help.

Hospital Transitions to Community for COVID-19 Patients

The following resources outline how acute and primary care can work together to safely transition COVID-19 patients from home into hospital and back home. Resources were developed based on Alberta’s new Home to Hospital to Home Transitions Guideline and help ensure continuity of care.

Some processes may require customization and will vary by zone. Check with your local ZEOC or PCN for clarification on what may be happening in your zone.

Follow-up to community physicians at discharge:

• Safe Discharge Home Checklist
• Safe Discharge Checklist Appendices
• My Discharge Checklist (patient resource)

Other resources for safe transitions:

• Transitions Checklist for Primary Care (Alberta Medical Association)
• Provincial Home to Hospital To Home Transitions Guideline

Resumption of Health Services

Diagnostic Imaging and Ambulatory Clinic Services

• Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Covenant Health have resumed Diagnostic Imaging (DI) and Ambulatory Clinic services.
• Patients attending a scheduled appointment will receive a pre-screening phone call to assess fitness to attend appointments and will be given instruction for attendance based on provincial public health guidelines. In cases where patients cannot be reached, they will be screened upon arrival for their appointments. Patients attending appointments for Ambulatory Care or DI will also need to follow the AHS visitor guidelines.
• We are making every effort to contact Albertans who had their in person visits and procedures delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic to discuss re-scheduling options.

Surgical Recovery Plan

AHS is currently operating at 88 per cent of pre-COVID-19 surgical activity and will increase this activity as part of a Surgical Recovery Plan developed and aligned with the Alberta Surgical Initiative (ASI).

• AHS postponed all non-urgent, scheduled surgeries in March to free up hospital beds in advance of an expected surge in patients with COVID-19. Some of these postponed activities resumed in May.
• Working in partnership with Alberta Health with this Surgical Recovery Plan, we are ensuring patients and families receive the surgery they need, when they need it, according to best practices and target benchmarks.
• The plan can be adjusted, as necessary, to help the health system respond to potential increased health system demand caused by COVID-19.
• Safety is the utmost priority and increases in surgery activity will happen providing it is safe and appropriate to do so.
• We will continue to ensure emergent and urgent surgeries are maintained while steadily increasing the number of surgeries, balancing the safety of patients and staff with the need to resume surgeries for Albertans waiting for care.
• Decisions on which surgeries proceed are based on clinical need and those being most in need and waiting longest being booked first. These decisions are being made at the zone level, and are also informed by the pandemic response in different parts of the province.
• Patients will be contacted directly when it is time to receive their surgery.

Staged Resumption of Lab Services

• Alberta Precision Laboratories’ Patient Service Centres and collection locations are currently able to operate at approximately 80 per cent of pre-pandemic capacity.
• Due to current demands on the province’s laboratories, please encourage patients to book routine lab work as early as possible.
• Fecal Immunochemical Testing (FIT) has resumed. It is recommended for patients aged 50-74. Patients should be advised to bring their requisition and pick up their FIT kits at their nearest PSC/PCC or in rural areas, patients can obtain the FIT kit at their local lab facility.