Home Health Line

Ebola decision tree for assessing risk

Effective Nov 3, 2014
Published Nov 3, 2014
Last Reviewed Nov 3, 2014

The following Ebola decision tree is designed to use for home health intake and clinical staff to help them assess risk and protect staff and patients. It was created by Pamela Hall, executive director of Athens Regional Home Health, a hospital-based agency in Athens, Georgia. The agency regularly updates this decision tree as guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other sources changes.

 
For intake personnel
 
Have you, any family member or caregiver traveled to/from West Africa (Sierra Leone, Liberia or New Guinea) in the last 21 days and/or come into contact with anyone who may have been infected with Ebola? 
 
            i.      If no, skip remainder of Ebola screening questions.
 
            ii.      If yes, ask if patient or caregiver has any of the following symptoms: fever > 100.4, severe headache, muscle aches, abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea? 
 
        1.      If no, enter the following into the Alert button of the patient’s electronic record: International Travel Risk. Proceed with remainder of screening questions and schedule admit visit.
 
        2.      If yes to fever, advise them to seek treatment from a doctor for evaluation before you perform a visit. Advise  them to travel by car and call ahead notifying the medical facility of the situation.
 
        3.     Immediately report this to the receiving facility, the administrator on call and the executive director. Report  the situation to the public health department.
 
Visiting clinicians (questions to ask when calling ahead to schedule a visit)
 
If the patient was identified as high risk of Ebola due to international travel, but was asymptomatic, ask the following question:
               
                  i. Have you or the individual who was exposed developed any of the following symptoms: fever > 100.4, severe headache, muscle aches or abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea?
 
        1.   If yes to fever, advise them to seek treatment from a doctor for evaluation before making a visit. Advise them to travel by car and call ahead notifying the medical facility of the situation. Immediately report this to the receiving facility, the administrator on call and executive director. This situation must be reported to the public health department.
 
                                                             2. If no, proceed with asking the remainder of screening questions and schedule visit.
 
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