A: YES. Please don’t let fear keep you from seeking needed medical care!
Nerdy Guest Dr. Eve Bloomgarden, a co-founder of Dear Pandemic partner organization Impact (impact4hc.com), has kindly shared helpful and reassuring guidance for health care seekers. Impact is a physician-led organization developing and disseminating evidence-based advice to patients, policymakers, and other decision-makers impacted by COVID-19. [Full disclosure: Nerdy Girl Lindsey a member of the Impact scientific advisory team!].
Health care seeking guidance from Dr. Bloomgarden:
To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, healthcare facilities and doctors’ offices had to reschedule, delay, and defer hundreds of thousands of patient visits. Diagnostic imaging studies, routine laboratory tests, non-emergent surgeries, and in-person office visits were delayed or cancelled. Many physicians rapidly transitioned visits to telemedicine for anyone that could safely be managed virtually. [Editorial note: For those who may be unfamiliar with the term, a televisit is where your doctor calls you on the phone or sets up a video chat in place of an in-person visit.]
In addition to the rapid emergence of telemedicine, hospitals and medical offices have been developing safe reactivation plans to keep healthcare workers and patients as safe as possible. Schedules have been adjusted to minimize the number of people in a given place to ensure social distancing. You can expect to answer questions about fever, cough, known exposure to COVID-19 when you schedule the appointment, prior to the appointment, and when you arrive at the office before entry. Anticipate temperature screening (no-touch), hand washing/sanitizer at entry, and universal masking (covering face and nose) as well.
What to ask before a doctor’s visit:
1. Is telemedicine (virtual visit) with my doctor an option?
If your doctor thinks a virtual visit is appropriate, then telemedicine remains the safest option to avoid exposure to COVID-19. This is particularly true for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, depression, and for routine well-visits. Again, your doctor will tell you if an in-person visit is necessary. Your doctor may ask you to come in after talking to you via telemedicine. Telemedicine requires a patient to have access to technology (smart phone or computer or tablet) and a reliable internet connection. The CDC has put forth a general framework supporting the choice between in-office vs. telehealth visits (see url below): The former should be offered to patients with underlying health conditions, those most at risk for complications from delayed care, and those without access to telehealth or without the technology to support it, while the latter can be used for other types of care.
2. What changes have been made to allow for social distancing and to ensure patient safety?
Expect to see virtual check-in, waiting room setup (sick section vs well section), and some practices may ask patients to wait in cars and will text/call the patient when the doctor is ready to see them. There will likely be new entrance/exit pathways to allow for social distancing and new diagnostic testing protocols. Visitor policies are hospital-dependent and in many places there are restrictions on visitors in place.
3. If I am feeling sick, should I delay going to the doctor to avoid getting sick?
You should not delay seeking emergency care. Unfortunately, we now know that public fear related to COVID-19 and lack of access to telehealth services has led to delays in seeking care for emergencies such as heart attack and stroke. Data from Chicago shows that 911 calls for chest pain and other emergencies for example dropped significantly during the pandemic (url below). Delaying care if you have an emergency will result in greater harm. Please know that hospitals have implemented extensive measures to protect patients and healthcare workers
4. Should I delay taking my kids to the doctor for their vaccines?
To answer this, we asked Dr Rebecca Unger, a pediatrician in Chicago and an Impact affiliate, to weigh in. Dr. Unger urges parents to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidance to keep well-child visits and vaccines. She also recommends reaching out to your pediatrician’s office for reassurance about appropriate infection control precautions, and talking with your pediatrician about the best, healthiest way to balance risks for your family as society opens up.
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