Making an appointment with your doctor can either be simple or complicated. There is not an in-between. Sometimes they are so busy, and the waiting room is packed, which can create an enormous wait time.
Then there are times like now when people are being screened before they can enter the building. It makes being seen by a provider hard, especially when it is something that can’t be discussed over the phone.
Meet You At The Door
If you are lucky enough that your medical provider doesn’t require you to call from your vehicle before entering the building, you may be met by an employee before entering on the outside of the building. At this time, you are screened to find out if you are running a fever or coughing. If you have been exposed to COVID-19 or have been traveling.
Even if you are not positive for the virus, but you experience any of these symptoms, you are given a mask and asked to wait in your vehicle. The waiting room is the perfect place for exposure to anything, not just the Coronavirus. The medical staff is only trying to protect everyone.
Increase in Telehealth Communication
The urgency of practicing social distancing has become extremely necessary to thwart the spread of the Coronavirus. Constant handwashing helps from spreading the virus, but if you are in close quarters with other people who are ill, the chances of passing it are exponentially higher.
To help alleviate the risks of exposure, more doctors are turning to telehealth appointments over the traditional face-to-face appointments right now. This is especially important for those mental health appointments and refills that require a visit.
Doctors are using telehealth procedures to keep you, the staff, and themselves safe from contracting the Coronavirus. If we don’t stop the spread of the virus, everything we have done as a precautionary measure may be for nothing.
You Have Valid Feelings
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of feelings to surface among the population. As a result, it feels like everyone is being singled out as the enemy. It is like when you go to the store and purchase something, even though you paid with your card, the clerk behind the counter is putting on a thin layer of hand sanitizer from finger-tip to shoulder.
You can’t let these offensive feelings build-up, though. Everyone is worried much like you are. Taking precautionary measures is not an admission of guilt. Nobody is looking at you any differently because chances are they are among those fighting the spread by wearing personal protective equipment. When you go out, even if you do have to physically go to the doctor, wear your own personal protective equipment. Show that you are a part of the solution and not the problem.