Family Physicians: Tips on Caring for your Patients during the Pandemic

Physicians all over the country have been striving hard to remain updated with all the breaking information relevant to the Coronavirus pandemic. Although it may not be verbalized often enough, it is important to know that thousands of Americans recognize the sacrifices made by doctors all over the country – the work is tiresome, difficult, and most of all, dangerous. But more than a pat on the back, medical providers could also use some help when it comes to making the right decisions during these difficult times. Here are three tips on how to best care for all your clients as a family doctor.

  • Screen Patients Online – The healthcare industry serves as the front line in the battle against Covid-19, which means that every hour is precious time that should not be wasted. Before anything else, doctors must screen their patients online by first referring to the CDC’s Guidelines on evaluating and testing for coronavirus infection. Should there be any reason to suspect possible infection or exposure to Covid-19, then physicians must follow protocol in order to deal with it quickly and decisively.
  • Using Virtual Visits To Take A Closer Look – If the patient passes coronavirus screening, but still needs further inspection for other possible conditions, then this would be a good time to engage in a “virtual visit” with them. In other words, set up a way for you to contact your patient directly through the use of common video conferencing apps such as Skype, Viber, Messenger – or use one of the many specialized apps designed specifically to provide telemedicine services (such as Teladoc). This would allow you to talk to and see your patient without having to be physically present in front of them – saving everyone the time, energy, and risk of traveling during the Covid-19 lockdown.
  • Know When To See A Patient In Person – Based on what you see during your virtual visit with your patient, you might decide that you need to take a closer look before being comfortable with a diagnosis or treatment. If it’s an emergency, either recommend an immediate trip to the nearest emergency room, invite them straight to your practice, or head straight to the patient’s location where you can get to work right away. But if the situation doesn’t call for urgency, then schedule an appointment with the patient either in your office or at their location of choice.

Furthermore, be sure you remain updated regularly with your local healthcare authorities as new information is released very frequently – as there may be slightly differing policies and realities from place to place. Caring for those that need medical assistance is the goal of all physicians, but being unaware of new information can have the opposite effect, especially in cases where previous treatments are proven useless or, worse, detrimental to the overall health of your patients.

            TukkoMed applauds all frontline medical workers combating the dreadful coronavirus. It is through your selfless sacrifice today that we can dream of a Covid-free America tomorrow. Life as a doctor is always hard, but that doesn’t mean it has to be harder than it needs to be – contact us today and hear about what we can do to keep you focused on what’s most important: your patients.