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Corresponding Author

Zhaohui Du

Abstract

Background Many countries have carried out sentinel surveillance programs to monitor infectious diseases. As containing COVID-19 has become normalized，the Department of Primary Health of the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China recommends primary healthcare institutions to set up a fever sentinel surveillance clinic. Objective To develop a set of nationwide used standards for the establishment of a fever sentinel surveillance clinic in primary healthcare institutions with regional differences in healthcare level and medical resources taken into account，to surveil and contain possible regional epidemiology of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in autumn and winter in China. Methods We designed and carried out a two-round Delphi survey. The first round of survey was conducted with primary care experts selected from Shanghai's various institutions by purposive sampling to discuss setting up a fever sentinel surveillance clinic in primary care in Shanghai. And the second round of survey was implemented with a purposive sample of primary care experts from various healthcare institutions in different regions of China to improve the results of the first survey based on relevant national and regional government policy documents and the reviewing of relevant studies to draw up Draft Guiding Principles for Setting up a Fever Sentinel Surveillance Clinic in Primary Healthcare Institutions. Results The developed standards include six domains：principles of setting up a fever sentinel surveillance clinic，functions of a fever sentinel surveillance clinic（items：daily functions and anti-epidemic functions），architectural and equipment specifications of a fever sentinel surveillance clinic（items：room，equipment and logo），staffing profile of a fever sentinel surveillance clinic（items：appropriate allocation of physicians，nurses，administrative workers，and handymen）， working procedure of a fever sentinel surveillance clinic（fever pre-screening and triage，reception，management and health education and propaganda），profile of services delivered by a fever sentinel surveillance clinic（items： reception，preventive care，management，training，disinfection，supervision and support）. Conclusion The construction of a fever sentinel surveillance clinic in primary healthcare institutions is a reflection of the capacity of such institutions. The functions of this clinic shall contain fever pre-screening and triage，reception and screening of fever patients，timely reporting suspected patients and proving supports for transferring the patients，and effective prevention of nosocomial infection. The detailed architectural and equipment specifications as well as staffing for the clinic can be settled according to the conditions of the institutions.

Original Publcation Date of Chinese Version

2021-04-05

Original Issue

10

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