Interesting email from my family doctor today about some new policies:
Sick patients will use their cars as their waiting room.
· When you arrive for your sick visit appointment- you stay in your car and call us to alert the office of your arrival.
· As soon as an exam room becomes available, we will have you go directly from your car to the exam room.
· Out of an abundance of caution, we are asking that the family members of sick patients to not accompany the individual into the medical office unless the patient clearly requires assistance.
· All patients should prepare for your visit with our ‘pre-check-in’. Prior to every visit, our patients receive a link sent to their phones. It is important for all patients, especially sick patients, to complete all possible prompts and questions prior to arriving to the office.
· If you are sick and are scheduled to come to our office for labs, kindly call the office and we will reschedule your lab appointment.
· Additionally, we continue to make every possible effort to promptly work patients into the schedule that wish to be seen, but request that our sick patients avoid walk-ins (coming to the office without an appointment) at this time. In the unlikely event that you become sick after contact with someone with known Coronavirus infection or after travel from China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, or Japan we ask that you call our office and our providers will arrange all appropriate testing.
I wonder what all those new storefront doctor’s offices are doing. Keeping the front door locked, I’m guessing. Just answering the phone?
Smart system!
Multiple potential vectors in centralized location, vs. one MD. with home visit (as in days past). (Eg Dr. Kiley: Marcus Wellby MD)
Some old folks (like my mother in law) do not have a cell phone or a computer....
Just saying...