As patients return to in-person healthcare visits, procedures and workflows are changing to keep patients and staff safe.
As the entire healthcare industry continues to manage and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining safety has been paramount. Whether you care for a higher-risk community during this time, or serve a general patient population, it’s important to implement updated procedures and protocols to keep your patients and staff safe — especially as you gradually increase your volume of in-office visits.
Screenings and increased safety measures can go a long way to reassure and protect everyone as the situation evolves and patients return to in-person appointments. To help you meet that need, we’ve collected top tips shared by providers, as well as guidance from the AMA and CMS.
Some of these might seem obvious in the course of delivering care; others less so. Regardless, they are reminders of what’s needed to keep operations running smoothly, and your practice prepared for the potential unknown.
If you do need to maintain a waiting area, as part of your operation or perhaps occasionally due to adverse weather, spread it out. Minimize seats and surfaces, and keep your numbers low so people can comfortably keep their distance from one another.
For any healthcare providers conducting procedures involving mucous membranes or that naturally carry a higher risk of transmission, use N95 masks or face shields.
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