In light of the current COVID-19 global pandemic, various legislative measures have been put in place to manage the spread thereof. A 21-day “lockdown” has been implemented to restrict movement in – public, certain businesses and industries. 

However, healthcare professionals (HCP) have been encouraged to keep their medical practices – open during this pandemic in order to be available to patients. This will increase the risk of infection, so the question is how can one help without getting infected? 

Here follows an example of a policy that can be followed to not only keep yourself safe, but also your patients and employees. By implementing this policy and guidelines you will be able to keep your practices’ doors open and stay productive whilst assisting the community during this pandemic. 

The policy example and guidelines include making use of pre-screening questionnaires and Telehealth consultations (online video calling) through – medical software that is quickly adaptable to its environment.

Table of Contents

1. COVID-19 Policy Example
2. Healthcare via Telehealth 
3. Understanding COVID-19 
4. Hygiene Habits 
5. Social Distancing
6. Communication & Education
7. Tools to Use

COVID-19 Policy Example

A COVID-19 practice policy should ensure minimal contact between patients and practitioners as well as between patients and other patients. During a pandemic or a highly infectious disease, such as the COVID-19, the practice should implement the following procedures:

1. Create placeholder bookings for patients.
2. Communicate the new policies and procedures to the patients.
3. Stuur pre-screening questionnaires to patients via email or SMS for completion.-
4. Based on the basic pre-screening results, the practitioner can continue with booking a face-to-face appointment in the case of a  low-risk result OR advise the patient which steps to take if it is a high-risk case.
5. When a patient arrives at the practice, it is advisable that they remain in their car until an employee/practitioner comes out to do another pre-screening, as communicated to them when the booking was being finalised.
6. The employee/practitioner will be appropriately dressed in PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) during the pre-screening at the patient’s car – such as gloves, goggles, N95 face mask and/or full face mask.
   • If you’re struggling to find any face protective equipment, click here to be navigated to the GoodX online order form. 
7. The second pre-screening will include a temperature check and/or swab to be sent for testing at a lab.
8. If the results show that the patient is low-risk, the patient will be able to enter the practice, but only after all other patients have exited the practice and the necessary hygiene procedures have been conducted.
9. Hygiene procedures should be implemented and social distancing should be kept during the consultation.

Healthcare via Telehealth 

With the lockdown and practices encouraged to remain open, the interest in using telehealth has increased as this eliminates the risk of getting infected. Let’s quickly give you a brief description of what telehealth is. 

Telehealth is the distribution of health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunication technologies. It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring, and remote admissions.

Telehealth is new to most – healthcare professionals and it might be daunting to get to know the new process. But having all necessary tools in one place – such as the video call itself, the patient’s file, a quick notebook, and other clinical information forms that can be completed – will surely alleviate the stress and administration.

GoodX Software is proud to provide the Telemed feature. Telemed enables you to do online video calls/consultations with your patients without physical contact – keeping everyone safe and your practice productive during the quarantine and thereafter. 

Understanding COVID-19

Before we move into the guidelines, it’s important to understand just how the COVID-19 spreads and thus, one can implement these guidelines effectively and efficiently. 

When an infected person coughs or exhales, they release droplets of infected fluid which can fall on nearby surfaces en objects – such as desks, tables or telephones. Other people can then catch the COVID-19 by touching these contaminated surfaces and then touching their eyes, noses and/or mouths. 

Another way in which someone can get infected is by standing within one meter of an infected person and then breathing in the droplets coughed out or exhaled by them. Thus, the COVID-19 spreads similarly to the flu. 

It’s also important to understand how people react after getting infected. Some will experience mild symptoms and recover fully while others can experience more serious symptoms and may require hospital care. 

People who are over 40 years of age, may be more vulnerable than those under the age of 40. People with weakened immune systems and people with other conditions such as diabetes, heart and lung diseases are also more vulnerable to contract the disease and experience worse symptoms. 

Now that we understand how the virus spreads and how different people can react differently to it, we can move on to the guidelines that can be implemented in the practice to lower the risk of infection. 

Hygiene Habits

We have heard this before, but simple hygiene habits are key. It will help prevent the spread of infections in your workplace, such as colds, flu, stomach bugs, and of course, the COVID-19 – protecting your patients, employees, and others around you. 

Here are some of the hygiene habits that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends:

• Make sure your workplaces are clean and hygienic by:
  • wiping surfaces and objects regularly with disinfectant as this is the main way in which the virus can spread. 
• Promote regular and thorough hand-washing as this will kill – viruses that could potentially be on one’s hands:
  • provide hand sanitizers in prominent places, 
  • display posters that promote hand-washing, and
  • have access to water and soap. 
• Promote good respiratory hygiene in the workplace as well by:
  • displaying posters promoting respiratory hygiene, 
  • ensuring that effective face masks and/or tissue papers are available, and
  • providing closed bins for the disposal of these used masks and/or tissues. 
• Brief and educate your employees and patients about the symptoms by:
  • communicating and promoting to stay at home if they experience mild symptoms, and
  • displaying posters with the symptoms and promoting this message to stay at home. 

Social Distancing

Practising social distancing (physical distancing) will help prevent the spread of the virus or any other contagious disease by maintaining a physical distance between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other. 

This is quite a challenge for healthcare professionals as it’s in their line of duty to work in close contact with people. It is however imperative to develop ways in which practitioners can still assist their patients.

Remember that it’s not only the spread between the practitioner and patient but that the virus can be spread as patients come and go. Care must be taken to provide a safe environment for yourself, your employees and your patients. 

Communication & Education

Communication is a two-way street and this responsibility lies with both the practitioner and patient. It’s vital that the communication between the practitioner and the patient (or anyone visiting the practice) is clear and accurate to ensure an environment safe from any virus transmissions. 

The practitioner needs to communicate to their patients any of the steps/policies that -will be implemented as a response to the COVID-19. This includes and is not limited to: Pre-screenings, social distancing measures, other ways of communication such as Telehealth, etc. Practitioners can also make use of notices and signs at their practices and on their online platforms such as their websites and other social media platforms. 

When appointments are made or confirmed, – high-risk patients, carriers or those with COVID-19 symptoms should not visit the practice. The practice needs to communicate how such persons are to seek help. A practitioner needs to report and inform patients and the public who might have come into contact with a carrier without delay.

When patients visit medical practices, they must provide accurate information to their practitioners, in particular where COVID-19 risks are concerned, and – practitioners need to facilitate this process with pre-screening forms and other clinical forms before, during and after consultations. 

Patients need to adhere to the rules of the practice which are specific to Coronavirus-related policies. Thus,  practitioners must clearly communicate these policies to their patients and ensure that these policies are visible to not only them, but also to prospective patients and the public. 

Tools to Use

Telemed Live

Whether you are a client of GoodX Software or not, you can use the GoodX Telemed feature during the lockdown so that you can safely practice during this time. 

• For our GoodX Clients, click here to be navigated to our online learning centre to see the quick setup of Telemed or you can contact your FCL to assist you. 
• If you are Not a GoodX Client, please click here to be navigated to our website and click on the “Sign Up For Free” button to complete the form. Please ensure that you have read the “Telemed Fair Use Terms of Service” section below as well. 

PPE

In light of the current COVID-19 global pandemic, GoodX is partnering with a 3D printing company, Aditiv Solutions, to manufacture Personal Protection Equipment Face Shields.

• Click here to be navigated to our online order form. 

Government Gazette

For more information, you can download the Government Gazette here that was published on the 25th of March 2020. 

Conclusion

The major things to remember to safely practice amidst the COVID-19: hygiene, PPE, social distancing, communication, education, and using telehealth to your advantage. 

There are tools and software available to assist HCP’s in times of crises. It’s vital to adapt and learn new skills to further evolve your practice to become productive and successful in treating patients. There are ways to stay safe and help your patients.