A Novel Approach to Emergency Department Readiness for Airborne Precautions Using Simulation-Based Clinical Systems Testing.

Study Objectives: Emergency department (ED) COVID-19 preparations required rethinking workflows and introducing the potential for errors. Simulation provides a nimble methodology integrating into situ training and systems testing to prepare staff, detect potential workflow latent safety threats and provide recommendations for mitigation.

Methods: We developed 5 onsite rapid-cycle ED simulation cases using "tipping points" related to new protocols coupled with a structured observation tool.