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Hi everyone. Sorry my last post was anonymous. We have implemented the use of the Triple Capability RATs across both Acute and Aged Care. We only use them for symptomatic presentations and would provide kits to staff in the event of an Aged Care respiratory outbreak. We would then begin testing of all staff and residents.
Staff and GPs have shown great acceptance and confidence in their use and the GPs have been able to initiate treatment much sooner. We have detected RSV and Influenza as well as Covid, which has meant staff know what precautions to implement. At this stage we are not testing all visitors but may do so if the numbers start increasing again. Our Local Public Health Unit gives us monthly numbers, but this is not quite as useful after the effect.
The cost savings on PCRs is yet to be determined, but I suspect our pathology bills will go down. We still use a PCR for symptomatic residents/ patients if the RAT is negative, but at least this has reduced the need to undertake swabs and wait for the result. As a small rural health service, this can be >24 hours.
The brand we purchased are the TouchBio brand. There are 2 in a packet for $5.80 – but we had to purchase a whole carton (448 kits) to get that price.
Fortunately, I could share with another regional aged care facility, so we could get half a box.
I am happy if anyone wants to talk to me personally for a private email.Michele Bibby
Thanks Kelly. The absence of concrete guidance is frustrating. We are still undertaking 3rd daily RAT for staff, and on entry, for visitors to Aged Care. I am looking to reducing the frequency of testing to symptomatic staff only, with the proviso that a negative COVID RAT does not mean staff should attend work.
Visitors who attend daily have been allowed to reduce the frequency of testing to 3rd daily, but ad hoc visitors still undertake RAT on site each visit. I’d love some direction about how we manage visitor testing once the Government funded RATs cease.
I have also obtained a quote for the triple capability RATs at $5.80 each which is a considerable saving on PCR costs and allow for rapid response to the causative organism. We are likely to implement these for our Acute and UCC patients as well for the same reason. Obviously Respiratory PCR has the capacity to detect other pathogens, but in a small facility, such as ours, the fast turnaround is really useful.
