As part of its efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed recommendations for medical practices, aimed at reducing the chance of patients spreading the disease when they come to a medical office. They include steps practices should take before, during and after a patient visit.Below is a summary of the CDC’s recommendations. To see the full list, visit the CDC official website.  Â
Before the patient arrives
•When scheduling appointments for routine care, such as an annual physical, instruct patients to call and reschedule their appointment if they develop symptoms of a respiratory infection (e.g., cough, sore throat, or fever) on the day they are scheduled to be seen.
•When a patient requests an appointment to be evaluated for a respiratory infection, use triage protocols to determine whether an in-person appointment is necessary or if the patient can be managed from home.
Before the patient arrives (continued)
•If the patient must come to the office, instruct them to call in advance to inform triage personnel that they have respiratory infection symptoms.
•The practice should require the patient to take appropriate preventive measures, such as wearing a facemask upon entry and during the visit.
During the visit
•Post signs and posters at the entrance and elsewhere with instructions about hand and respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette. •Instructions should include how to use tissues to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, to dispose of tissues and contaminated items in waste receptacles, and how and when to wash hands.
•Provide supplies for respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, including alcohol-based hand rub with 60-95% alcohol, tissues, and no-touch receptacles for disposal, at entrances, patient check-in stations, and in waiting rooms.
During the visit (continued)
•Install physical barriers (e.g., glass or plastic windows) at reception areas to limit close contact between office staff and potentially infectious patients.
•Prioritize triaging of patients with symptoms of Covid-19 or other respiratory infections.
•Ensure that triage personnel have an adequate supply of facemasks and tissues for patients with symptoms of respiratory infection. Provide these to patients with symptoms of respiratory infection when they check in.
During the visit (continued)
•Ask all patients at check-in about the presence of respiratory infection symptoms and their history of travel to areas experiencing transmission of Covid-19 or contact with possible Covid-19 patients.
•Isolate patients suspected of having Covid-19 or other respiratory illness in an examination room with the door closed.
•If an exam room is not available, don’t allow the patient to wait among other patients seeking care. Instead, identify a separate, well-ventilated area that allows waiting patients to be separated by six or more feet, and with easy access to respiratory hygiene supplies.
During the visit (continued)
•Another option is to allow patients to wait in a personal vehicle or outside the facility, and contact them by mobile phone when it’s their turn to be seen.
•Incorporate questions about new onset of respiratory symptoms into assessments of all patients. Monitor and evaluate all new fevers and respiratory illnesses among patients. Place any patient with unexplained fever or respiratory symptoms on appropriate transmission-based precautions and evaluate.
Additional considerations during periods of community transmission:
- Cancel group healthcare activities, such as group therapy sessions.
- Postpone elective procedures, surgeries, and non-urgent outpatient visits.
