We are not under CMS requirements, but our State Dept. of Health had a similar requirement that was rescinded within the past few months. Temperature screening is completely ineffective. CDC data from airport
screening during the Ebola outbreak showed zero sensitivity and zero specificity. There has been a similar experience with temperature screening for COVID-19 with primarily false positive screens and few, if any true positive screens. We have been relying
on education on COVID-19 symptoms, high risk contacts, and early self-reporting and testing. I think that that is about the best that can be done to try to keep infected employees out of the workplace. I believe that CDC has also dropped the recommendation
for temperature screening.
Douglas M Wendland, MD, MPH
St. Luke's Occupational Medicine
From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net> On Behalf Of
Radke, Laura L. M.D.
Sent: Friday, February 26, 2021 9:44 AM
To: 'MCOH-EH' <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Subject: [MCOH-EH] Temperature screening of employees
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Based on CMS standards, we have been performing temperature screening for our staff daily at the entrances to all of our facilities. None of those involved in putting this in place feel strongly that it provides any useful information.
Wondering how the rest of you are handling this and if there has been any interaction with CMS recently about whether we could remove temperature screening and just do symptom surveys daily, particularly since we have now been able to vaccinate the majority
of our staff. We have an app that employees use to get clearance and show the result when they enter daily, and would plan to keep that in place indefinitely. Temperature screening slows down the process and is a major dissatisfier, particularly at shift
changes.
Appreciate your responses and insight!
Laura L Radke, MD
Medical Director, F&MCW Occupational Health Services
Phone: 262-253-8197 | Fax: 262-253-5152 Cell Phone: 414-530-0723
E-mail: laura.radke@froedtert.com
Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Workforce Health / North Hills Health Center Building B First Floor
W129 N7055 Northfield Dr.
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
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