We know we need to stay home to keep COVID-19 from spreading, but many of us still have 'routine' doctor appointments on the calendar - should we keep them? A doctor explains:
Board-certified internistIt’s hard to call anything"routine" anymore, but a lot of friends and family are reaching out to me to ask if they should keep their regular appointments whileI have a family member who was scheduled for cataract removal in the coming weeks. My daughter is coming up for her annual “well child” visit.
In general, at this time, it’s probably a good idea for people that are well to cancel or reschedule routine, non-urgent doctor’s appointments -- this would include physicals, annuals, and well visits. For pregnant women, talk to your Ob about how they plan to monitor you for your regular follow-ups. Also, talk about potential labor and delivery plans. The situation continues to evolve, so keep that in mind, but at least you can continue to prepare. My Ob is converting most appointments to “virtual visits” which means she will speak with me over the phone, but there are some appointments for ultrasounds that I will still need to keep.
It’s very important not to assume. Contact your doctor’s office to confirm what their plans are to keep you safe. You may also find that a lot of offices and hospitals are limiting the number of people that can come with you to an appointment, so be aware of those rules as well. And, of course, keep taking your medicines as prescribed and don’t wait until the last minute to call for refills.
Our health care providers have very limited personal protective equipment right now , so the more we can limit non-urgent care, the more protective equipment there is to go around to protect our healthcare workforce as they care for the growing number of people needing hospital and intensive care due to COVID-19.If you, or a loved one, are not feeling well, it’s very important to contact your doctor’s office for advice. Don’t feel like you have to manage on your own.
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