Ebola Guidelines for Doctors’ Offices Are Called Vague and Vary by Region

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Ebola Guidelines for Doctors’ Offices Are Called Vague and Vary by Region

Thu, 2014-10-23 08:45 — mike kraft

NEW YORK TIMES Oct. 23, 2014

....While federal officials have been preoccupied with revamping hospital protocols for handling Ebola patients, critics say guidelines for doctors’ offices, walk-in clinics, blood-testing centers and other outpatient settings have remained spotty and vague.

That has often left local officials and medical associations to fill in the gaps and develop their own policies.

“The C.D.C. has had a good deal of guidance on the hospital environment, but less about the ambulatory environment; there’s been little guidance on that score,” said Dr. Rocco Orlando III, the chief medical officer at Hartford HealthCare....

(However) Dr. Jay Varma, the deputy commissioner for disease control at New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said the chances of an acutely ill patient seeking help at a private doctor’s office were exceedingly low. Most of these patients will probably go to a hospital emergency room, he said.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/23/us/ebola-guidelines-for-doctors-offices-are-called-vague-and-vary-by-state.html?_r=0

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