For months, Patricia Merryweather-Arges, a health care expert, has fielded questions about the coronavirus pandemic from fellow Rotary Club members in the Midwest.
Recently, people have wondered: “Is it safe for me to go see my doctor? Should I keep that appointment with my dentist? What about that knee replacement I put on hold: Should I go ahead with that?”
These are pressing concerns as hospitals, outpatient clinics, and physicians’ practices have started providing elective medical procedures—services that had been suspended for several months.
Before You Go
Give yourself at least a week to learn about your medical provider’s preparations.“You want to know in advance what’s expected of you and what you can expect from your providers,” said Lisa McGiffert, co-founder of the Patient Safety Action Network.
Also, ask whether patients known to have COVID are treated in the same areas you’ll use. Will the medical staffers who interact with you also see these patients?
If you’re getting care in a hospital, will you be tested for COVID-19 before your procedure? Is the staff being tested and, if so, under what circumstances?
Mount Sinai also encourages physicians to reach out to patients with messages tailored to their conditions. People “want to hear directly from their providers,” said Karen Wish, the system’s chief marketing officer.
Don’t hesitate to press for more details, says Dr. Allen Kachalia, senior vice president of patient safety and quality at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Seeking Care
Wendy Hayum-Gross, 57, a counselor who lives in Naperville, Illinois, had been waiting since mid-March to get blood tests that would help doctors diagnose the underlying cause of a new condition, a goiter. A few weeks ago, she decided it was time.“Once I passed that, a phlebotomist met me on the other side of the door and took me to a chair that was still wet with disinfectant. She wore a mask and gloves, and there was no one else around,” Hayum-Gross said. “When I saw the precautions they had put in place and the almost military precision with which they were carrying them out, I felt much better.”
Marjorie Helsel DeWert, 67, of Athens, Ohio, was similarly impressed when she visited her dentist recently and noticed circular yellow signs on the floor of the office, spaced 6 feet apart, indicating where people should stand. Staffers had even put pens used to fill out paperwork in individual containers and arranged to disinfect them after use.
Bringing a Caregiver
Some medical centers are allowing caregivers to accompany patients; others are not. Be sure to ask what policies are in place.If you feel your presence is necessary—for instance, if you want to be there for a relative who is frail or cognitively compromised—be firm but also respectful, said Ilene Corina, president of the Pulse Center for Patient Safety Education & Advocacy.
Be prepared to wear a gown, gloves, and mask.
“You’re not there for yourself: You’re there to support the health care team and the patient,” said Corina, whose organization offers training to caregivers.
In Orland Park, Illinois, Debi Ross, an interior designer, and her sister live with her 101-year-old mother. Eight years ago, when her mother had a tumor removed from her colon, Ross and her sister wiped down every electric socket, cord, surface, and door handle in her mother’s hospital room.
“Unless Mom absolutely needs [medical] care, we’re not going to take her anywhere,” Ross said. “But I assure you, if she does have to go see somebody, we’re going to clean that place down from top to bottom, I don’t care what anybody says.”
Afterward
Patients leaving hospitals are fearful these days that they unwittingly may have become infected with COVID-19. Ask your physician or a nurse what equipment you’ll need to monitor yourself. Will a pulse oximeter and a thermometer be necessary? Will you need masks and gloves at home if someone is coming in to help you out with the transition? Can someone provide that equipment?“Family caregivers need instructions that are clear,” said Martin Hatlie, chief executive of Project Patient Care. “They need to know who to call 24/7 if they have a question. And they need clear guidance about infection control in the home.”
If home care is being ordered, ask the agency whether they have trained staff to recognize COVID symptoms. And have home care workers been tested for COVID-19 or had symptoms?
If follow-up care is being provided via telehealth, make sure the setup works before your loved one comes home. Ask your physician’s office what kind of equipment you will need, which service they use (Zoom? Skype?), and whether you can arrange a test in advance.
Finally, as you resume activities, help protect others against COVID-19 as well as yourself. When you go out into the world again, “mask up, socially distance, and wash your hands,” said Kachalia of Johns Hopkins. “And if you’re sick or have symptoms, by all means, let your doctor’s office know before you come in for a checkup.”