Planning phase-2 for the endoscopic units in Northern Italy after COVID-19 lockdown: an exit strategy with a lot of critical issues and a few opportunities.

Background and aims: Restarting activity in Endoscopic Departments (ED) after COVID-19 lockdown raises critical issues. This survey investigates strategies and uncertainties on resumption of elective activity. Methods: Directors of 55 EDs in Northern Italy received a questionnaire focusing on the impact of pandemic on activity and organization and on the resources available at re-opening. A section was devoted to gather forecasts and proposals on the return path to normality. Results: All centres had reduced their activities of at least 50% of the pre-COVID-19 period. A rate of endoscopists (13.6%), nurses (25.2%), and health assistants (14%) were not available since infected, or relocated to other departments. One third of endoscopic rooms were converted to COVID-19 care. Two third had the waiting or the recovery areas too small for distancing. A dedicated pathway for infected patients could not be guaranteed in 20% of EDs. Only one third of EDs judged realistic to completely restore a pre-crisis workload by the next months. Optimizing appropriateness of procedures, closer interaction with GPs and triaging patients with telemedicine were the proposals to re-open EDs. Conclusions: The critical issues while re-opening EDs calls for reducing the workload in the endoscopy units through appropriate rescheduling of procedures.