OurHealth quickly adapted to meet the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic without disrupting the level of care our patients expect by implementing a national virtual care program.
In less than 10 days, we went from 90% in-person appointments to 90% virtual and our care team made personal calls to more than 60,000 patients to check-in and offer help.
Today, patients can see providers, behavioral specialists, or health coaches nationwide either in person, by video or telephone, eliminating the need to delay or defer their care.
By delivering care according to patient preference, we’re able to serve our patients and communities when and where they need it most. Keeping patients comfortable and safe are critically important to us.
Amidst the pandemic, patients continue to face the same health issues and concerns that they always have and as a result of the pandemic, we’re seeing a rise in mental health cases. Unfortunately, many patients are putting off health visits due to COVID-19 – national trends suggest a decline in patient demand around 30%. They’re doing so out of a concern for their safety as well as making tradeoffs due to financial or time constraints.
Healthcare systems as a whole have had to shift the ways providers are able to provide the essential and necessary care in order to minimize the potential risk of patients and healthcare workers contracting COVID-19.
Continuity of care is critical in order to avoid the consequences related to delaying preventive, routine, or chronic conditions. With care delivery options, such as virtual care, appointments are more readily accessible, especially for those who might be medically or socially vulnerable.
Many aspects of our lives were put on pause when the pandemic hit earlier this year. Patient health, however, does not need to be put on pause with the accessibility of virtual care and a connection to providers they know and trust.
Here’s what we’re doing in our health centers to ensure the safety of our patients and care teams:
- Every member of our care team is required to complete a COVID-19 symptom screening and self-attestation form every day.
- Masks are required for everyone in our health center.
- No visitors are allowed with patients, unless in the case of a minor being seen.
- To reduce patient overlap and improve physical distancing, we’ve added more time between appointments
- We separate ill visits from well visits by time of day.
- Health center staff disinfect all surfaces between visits to avoid any contaminated surfaces.
