How to Stay Safe at the Doctor During the Pandemic
- Doctors have limited in-person visits and postponed elective surgeries and screening tests to limit the risk of COVID-19
- Telemedicine can be a safer alternative for care that doesn’t require an in-person visit
- Medical offices use safety measures like wearing masks, spacing out patients, sanitizing the office and taking temperature screenings at the door
In order to avoid exposing their cancer patients to the virus, one of the first things doctors did in the early days of the pandemic was to limit in-person visits, and avoid having people come into the hospital or clinic, says Dr. Adam ElNaggar, a gynecologic oncologist at West Cancer Center in Memphis, Tennessee.
Read MoreEmbracing Technology
Many medical offices now offer telehealth or telemedicine visits, where you can meet with your doctor remotely over the phone or via computer, rather than in person. Remote visits can be a good option for people who aren't sure whether they need to see their doctor."What telemedicine allows the physician to do is to have a face-to-face virtual meeting with you," Dr. ElNaggar says. "You can discuss your symptoms, what's going on, how things have progressed or changed over the last couple months."
From that visit, your doctor can decide whether you need an in-person follow-up visit, or if they can address your problem virtually.
Of course, some elements of ovarian cancer care, like imaging scans and chemotherapy treatments, can't be handled remotely. That's where it's helpful to have a discussion with your doctor about which visits can wait, and which need to be done immediately.
Safety First
If you do need to go to the doctor in person for a follow-up visit, rest assured that hospitals, clinics, and doctor's offices are taking every precaution to ensure that you are as safe and protected as possible.
Over the past several months, doctors have put several new safety measures into place, including:
- Limiting the number of daily scheduled visits
- Limiting the number of people in the waiting room and spacing them at least 6 feet apart
- Conducting temperature screenings at the door
- Asking patients about recent travel and personal contacts
- Requiring all medical staffphysicians, nurses, and other personnelto wear personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks and gloves
- Requiring all patients to wear a mask
- Increasing sanitizing methods and disinfecting all surfaces
"All of these things are designed to allow people to come back to the physician’s office, come back to their health care provider’s office, and be as safe as possible," says Dr. ElNaggar.
During these unprecedented times, health care teams and medical staff are doing their best to continue to provide cancer treatment as safely as possible. Although it's good to be extra cautious right now, you don't want to miss a diagnostic test or skip a treatment that's essential to controlling your cancer. Work with your doctor to evaluate your current health care needs, and come up with a plan of action that takes into consideration both your risks and treatment goals.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
