Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital

Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital developed a contactless COVID-19 testing booth to protect staff and patients from the spread of virus.

The facility is designed as an isolated and contactless one-stop-clinic to free its medical staff from the burden of wearing Level-D protective gears in the hot summer.

In the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, the condition of the testing booth was very poor. Since the testing booths were mostly made up as temporary facilities like pop-up tents or shipping containers and had to be located outside the hospital due to the risk of infection, the front-line healthcare workers could be easily exposed to the virus transmission and were exhausted by the cold and hot weather.

The new booth called Smart Testing Booth is equipped with negative pressure system to protect virus infection and telemedicine system for basic treatment.

When a patient enters a room, nurses who do not wear full protective gear reach patients for COVID-19 test through windows fitted with rubber gloves, while doctors talk remotely with the patient through video systems. Patients can also access the services like reception, payment, and temperature checks by the kiosk system at the booth without any physical contact with the medical staff.

“It was very difficult for people with COVID-related symptoms to get treatment, but we can now see the patients safely through the telecommunication system,” said Chief Planning Officer Me-Yeon Lee of the hospital.

A minimum number of medical staff are needed on site for the testing and temperature checks and they no longer need to put on Level-D PPE including gloves, safety glasses, face shield, and chemical resistant boots.

Director Kyung-Ho Yu of the hospital said, “It was not just designed to protect our hard-working medical staff but also to provide the most contactless medical services for patients who are worried about visiting hospitals in this challenging time.”

Meanwhile, Hallym University Medical Center plans to expand this system into its affiliate hospitals and other medical institutions in Korea.

By Hyun Ho Choi, Int’l Cooperation Team, HUMC(dullie1989@hallym.or.kr)