COVID-19 has altered the way health care systems are operating around the world. There are certain actions that specialty practices should be taking to reduce the risk of exposure for staff members, patients, and themselves.
Prepare your Healthcare Practice
- Prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your healthcare facility by taking reasonable precautions. You should stock your lobby or healthcare facility with facial tissue and alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
- You should be proactive and monitor all national news outlets to know about the confirmed cases in your particular region.
- You should make sure that the staff and patients keep their hygiene levels by educating proper hygiene and handwashing procedures.
- You can consider implementing a remote work policy for the safety of your healthcare providers and potential patients to reduce the spread of the virus and limit physical contact.
The right time to use the communication tools and telehealth abilities in your EHR Software
By reducing the number of physical interactions can greatly help to limit the spread of the virus and lower the curve. This can be done by using the communications tools provided by your EHR software system. These tools include patient portals, two-way messaging, and virtual sessions with the healthcare provider. These will help to minimize any exposure and risk for your practice and the patient. Extending care remotely is a great way to treat and diagnose patients from the safety of their homes. Many patients fear to visit hospitals and clinics because of the exposure to the virus.
As a healthcare provider it is also advised to monitor local, federal, and state guidelines to take reasonable and timely actions. You can stay informed by CDC’s COVID-19 Resources that are updated live, always make sure that the resources are official. Other official resources include; WHO Rights, Roles, and Responsibilities of Health Workers and OSHA Guidance on Workplace Preparation for COVID-19.
The above guidelines will help you prepare your specialty practice to cope and address with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Resources
A Physician’s Guide to COVID-19. (2020). Retrieved 27 May 2020, from https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/physicians-guide-covid-19
Brown, N. (2020). COVID-19: What Specialty Practices Should Be Doing. Retrieved 27 May 2020, from https://www.nextech.com/blog/covid-19-what-specialty-practices-should-be-doing
