As stay-at-home restrictions are relaxed, healthcare organizations must strategically plan on how and when to reopen.
- The American Medical Association (AMA) resource, COVID-19: A Physician Practice Guide to Reopening, originally developed for physician practices, can also help health centers prepare to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strategies and recommendations include compliance with governmental guidance; development of a preopening plan; institution of patient and staff safety measures; a tele-triage program; process to screen patients before in-person visits and limiting non-patient visitors.
- The United Kingdom’s Academy of Medical Royal Colleges released a May 2020 report, Principles for Reintroducing Healthcare Services, outlining six principles for reopening healthcare services. These principles are designed to help increase patient confidence in the healthcare system’s ability to provide care while also decreasing the spread of COVID-19. The six principles address clear messaging to the public that stresses the need to seek medical help for serious conditions; providing the option to seek remote or virtual care when appropriate; utilizing a shared decision-making process; enabling staff to deliver safe, equitable and clinically prioritized care and supporting staff with training and education.