It’s hard to call anything
"routine" anymore, but a lot of friends and family are reaching
out to me to ask if they should keep their regular appointments while COVID-19 is spreading throughout our
communities.
I have a family member who was scheduled for cataract
removal in the coming weeks. My daughter is coming up for her annual “well
child” visit. And I’m pregnant and due in about 10 weeks -- do I still go to my
regular Ob appointments?
The most important thing to remember is that this is a
rapidly evolving situation, so recommendations can change at any time. In the
most recent set of recommendations, the White House is urging Americans all
across the country to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people. Sitting in a
waiting room with more than 10 people is probably not a good idea.
The biggest problem is that because of our problems with
testing, we just don’t really know where the COVID-19 cases are -- so, we all have
to behave like it could be anywhere.
Should I keep my “routine” appointments?
The best advice is, it depends -- are you being seen
regularly for cancer treatments, pregnancy care, difficult to control lung
disease? For some of these, your doctor’s office probably has a plan to help
manage your treatment that may not involve face-to-face visits.
In general, at this time, it’s probably a good idea for
people that are well to cancel or reschedule routine, non-urgent doctor’s
appointments -- this would include physicals, annuals, and well visits.
Check your doctor’s office or healthcare center’s website
for more detailed information about their plans. Most offices and healthcare
facilities around the country are proactively canceling these appointments and setting
up telephone/video visits when appropriate. If your doctor’s office has an
online platform, that might be the best way to connect and find out what the
plan is for your appointment.
This includes dentists’ offices. Many dentists are
recommending against routine care – like exams, cleaning and fillings
(especially because COVID-19 is a respiratory infection). Emergency care
is still being offered for things like severe toothache pain, broken teeth from
trauma, and infections.
For pregnant women, talk to your Ob about how they plan
to monitor you for your regular follow-ups. Also, talk about potential labor
and delivery plans. The situation continues to evolve, so keep that in mind,
but at least you can continue to prepare. My Ob is converting most appointments
to “virtual visits” which means she will speak with me over the phone, but
there are some appointments for ultrasounds that I will still need to keep.
Cancer centers also seem to be setting up alternative
plans to care for all of their patients with the main goal of minimizing
unnecessary patient contact. Many are conducting telephone visits where
appropriate and setting up lab and infusion appointments to minimize risk to
their patients.
This is true for people with other serious, long-term
conditions as well -- don’t just stop going to medical appointments. If you
have heart disease, transplants, and other long-term conditions, talk to your
doctor’s office about their recommendations for getting labs checked and being
seen.
It’s very important not to assume. Contact your doctor’s
office to confirm what their plans are to keep you safe. You may also find that
a lot of offices and hospitals are limiting the number of people that can come
with you to an appointment, so be aware of those rules as well. And, of course,
keep taking your medicines as prescribed and don’t wait until the last minute
to call for refills.
Always contact your doctor’s office before you go if you
have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath so they can be prepared to take
care of you while protecting other patients.
Why are doctor’s offices and clinics canceling
appointments?
Doctor’s offices are following strict guidelines to keep
their offices safe for people that need to come in, but also we need to work
together to make sure our healthcare system can handle the numbers of patients
that need care (or will soon need care), so postponing well care and
maintaining social distancing definitely means you are doing your part to help.
For routine care, the risks to yourself and your
community may outweigh the benefits. That’s why a lot of doctors’ offices and
medical facilities are canceling/postponing well care and procedures that are
not urgent -- think screening colonoscopies, elective surgeries like cataract
removal, knee replacements, or cosmetic surgery.
Our health care providers have very limited personal
protective equipment right now (gloves, facemasks, respirators, and gowns), so
the more we can limit non-urgent care, the more protective equipment there is
to go around to protect our healthcare workforce as they care for the growing
number of people needing hospital and intensive care due to COVID-19.
What should I do if I feel sick or have an emergency?
If you, or a loved one, are not feeling well, it’s very
important to contact your doctor’s office for advice. Don’t feel like you have
to manage on your own. The key to our new normal is going to be triage --
that’s when you let your doctor know about any of your health concerns, and
they decide the best place to help manage and treat those concerns. This might
mean calling a prescription in to your local pharmacy, speaking to you over the
phone, or asking you to come in to the office.
If you suspect you might have COVID-19, where you are
seen for it really depends on how sick you are. It is important to let your
doctor know if you have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty
breathing. Some people will be fine being tested and treated outside of the
hospital, but others will need to be seen in the ER and may need to be
hospitalized. It all depends on how severe your symptoms are.
You may need to go straight to the ER if you have high
fevers and trouble breathing, but again, it’s critical to call ahead to let the
ER know you are coming.
If we all work together, we will be able to stay healthy
and keep others in our community healthy as well.
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