Auscura Develops Virtual Screening Tool Allowing For an Easy and Affordable Solution to Bring Employees Back to the Workplace
Auscura's SmartContact Platform Allows Employees to Relay Symptoms and High-risk Activities Before Coming to Work
In response to Illinois Governor, J. B. Pritzker's return-to-work screening requirements, Auscura adapted its SmartContact solution to screen workers for fever, symptom, and exposure utilizing secure communications automation. The system gathers actionable data and prevent the spread of COVID allowing workplaces to open and operate safely within federal guidelines utilizing the CDC's return to work decision tree.
As companies look to adapt to "a new normal", innovative technologies have emerged to help keep the workforce healthy while facing the challenges of re-opening. SmartContact is a 30-second e-survey that takes into account both day-of symptoms as well as exposure risk - data that can be quickly retrieved whenever needed. It meets CDC and OSHA requirements as well as HIPAA privacy standards and overcomes the cost and other drawbacks of in-person entrance screeners.
Thermal entrance scanning requires temperature kiosks and a person asking about symptoms. This expensive and slow-paced method is often inaccurate and can create a false sense of security whereas the Auscura technology leverages pattern recognition to immediately identify risk. For instance, if two cafeteria workers develop symptoms, urgent operational changes must be put in place. SmartContact is able to recognize clusters and immediately alert company leaders. The solution also allows healthcare staff to electronically contact patients sent home to assure their well-being and uncover or resolve follow-up or service issues. Additionally, employees are linked to both educational resources and made aware of company policies that address infection control.
"In my 30 years of practicing emergency medicine, I have not seen anything to fear more than COVID," says Scaletta, MD, Founder and CEO of Auscura. "We all need to avoid becoming the vector, the reason our family and friends, especially elders and those with chronic conditions, get infected. It's a very challenging situation as the economy, too, has a direct effect on health outcomes."
Dr. Scaletta, a software programmer before entering medical school, is now a practicing emergency physician who is board-certified in emergency medicine and clinical informatics. He oversees two Chicago-area emergency departments. After eight years of experience managing personal health information, the Built-in automation of the solution streamlines workflows and prevents human error. With SmartContact, employees get an automated text message every morning with a link to a short survey to assess their risk levels.
"Daily symptom surveillance is integral to workplace safety," said Dr. Scaletta. "Checking temperatures at an entrance creates bottlenecks and is a clinically-flawed strategy. Less than a third of the patients I admit to the hospital with COVID pneumonia have a fever at triage. Businesses need to know if there are symptoms before someone leaves home so no infection is passed along during a commute."
Auscura's virtual screening technology is safe, inexpensive, and a more straightforward way to meet CDC guidelines. Auscura is the winner of the 2014 Urgent Matters Emergency Care Innovation of the Year Award Recipient. The SmartContact solution is available nationally to turn qualitative feedback into provider-specific reports that measure compassion, communication, and competence for a business. In the forthcoming Post-Pandemic world, an advantage of data will be crucial to the continuing health and safety of enterprises, their employees, and their consumers.
In response to Illinois Governor, J. B. Pritzker's return-to-work screening requirements, Auscura adapted its SmartContact solution to screen workers for fever, symptom, and exposure utilizing secure communications automation. The system gathers actionable data and prevent the spread of COVID allowing workplaces to open and operate safely within federal guidelines utilizing the CDC's return to work decision tree.
As companies look to adapt to "a new normal", innovative technologies have emerged to help keep the workforce healthy while facing the challenges of re-opening. SmartContact is a 30-second e-survey that takes into account both day-of symptoms as well as exposure risk - data that can be quickly retrieved whenever needed. It meets CDC and OSHA requirements as well as HIPAA privacy standards and overcomes the cost and other drawbacks of in-person entrance screeners.
Thermal entrance scanning requires temperature kiosks and a person asking about symptoms. This expensive and slow-paced method is often inaccurate and can create a false sense of security whereas the Auscura technology leverages pattern recognition to immediately identify risk. For instance, if two cafeteria workers develop symptoms, urgent operational changes must be put in place. SmartContact is able to recognize clusters and immediately alert company leaders. The solution also allows healthcare staff to electronically contact patients sent home to assure their well-being and uncover or resolve follow-up or service issues. Additionally, employees are linked to both educational resources and made aware of company policies that address infection control.
"In my 30 years of practicing emergency medicine, I have not seen anything to fear more than COVID," says Scaletta, MD, Founder and CEO of Auscura. "We all need to avoid becoming the vector, the reason our family and friends, especially elders and those with chronic conditions, get infected. It's a very challenging situation as the economy, too, has a direct effect on health outcomes."
Dr. Scaletta, a software programmer before entering medical school, is now a practicing emergency physician who is board-certified in emergency medicine and clinical informatics. He oversees two Chicago-area emergency departments. After eight years of experience managing personal health information, the Built-in automation of the solution streamlines workflows and prevents human error. With SmartContact, employees get an automated text message every morning with a link to a short survey to assess their risk levels.
"Daily symptom surveillance is integral to workplace safety," said Dr. Scaletta. "Checking temperatures at an entrance creates bottlenecks and is a clinically-flawed strategy. Less than a third of the patients I admit to the hospital with COVID pneumonia have a fever at triage. Businesses need to know if there are symptoms before someone leaves home so no infection is passed along during a commute."
Auscura's virtual screening technology is safe, inexpensive, and a more straightforward way to meet CDC guidelines. Auscura is the winner of the 2014 Urgent Matters Emergency Care Innovation of the Year Award Recipient. The SmartContact solution is available nationally to turn qualitative feedback into provider-specific reports that measure compassion, communication, and competence for a business. In the forthcoming Post-Pandemic world, an advantage of data will be crucial to the continuing health and safety of enterprises, their employees, and their consumers.