PALO ALTO (KRON) -- You won't have to get out of the car if you want to find out if you have the H1N1 swine flu at the Stanford University Medical Center.
The hospital emergency room is conducting a test by providing in-car drive-through flu screenings.
"It's not for convenience," Dr. Eric Weiss told KRON 4's Mark Danon live on the KRON 4 Morning News. "Every year in the flu season emergency rooms all around the country are bursting at the seams. This is a mechanism to not only see patients more efficiently and faster but more importantly it helps mitigate the spread of infectious disease. Think of the alternative where patients have to get out of their cars. They have to walk into an emergency department. Then they're waiting in crowded emergency rooms spreading germs to other patients and to health care providers. So here we're using automobiles as self-contained isolation environments. Patients can remain in the comfort of their vehicle and get the same triage and medical screening exam that they would in an emergency department."
Dr. Weiss says one of his colleagues, Dr. Greg Gilbert, came up with the idea. Emergency room administrators then put together rules and guidelines for doctors and nurses conducting the in-car screenings.
"I don't know of anybody who has ever done this before and I don't think that other hospitals are aware up until now that we have such a plan but I think once we can prove the efficacy and the value of such a paradigm and model that other hospitals will want to do this as well," Dr. Weiss added.
Emergency room administrators are already getting ready for what could be a very busy flu season.
"Swine flu is not going to go away," Dr. Weiss said. "It's an unstoppable virus. There's no immunity to it. There may be a vaccine available later in the fall. We need to be ready for a resurgence of the H1Ni infection which will most likely occur in the fall and winter of this coming year."
Stay tuned to KRON 4 and KRON4.com for comprehensive coverage of the Swine Flu season.
(Copyright 2009, KRON 4, All rights reserved.)
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| 8/11/2009 12:33:20 PM
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Anonymous
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| I've been sick for about a week with the worst case of cold/flu I've had in ages. Don't think it's swine flu...more like strep symptoms so I second the first commentor. Don't want to go into SF General or a free clinic for exactly the reasons listed. is this service still available as of August, 09? |
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| 6/14/2009 10:57:22 AM
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Anonymous
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| fantastic Idea!How about drive thru Strep throat Swabs? If Positive then a perscription could be written and the patient could drive thru a pharmacy.Just think no clinic charges, just think of the money saved on health care.I think there on to something!! |
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| 6/13/2009 3:48:15 PM
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Anonymous
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| How about drive through STD checks! We can just swab you through the window |
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| 6/12/2009 4:42:59 PM
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Palo Alto resident
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| We want to know more about the drive through triage. Great job to Stanford on their work! |
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| 6/12/2009 4:14:59 PM
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Anonymous
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| This is a wonderful idea. I really think it could prove invaluable to the population. |
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