To ensure the health of your child, please do not delay or skip medical care during Covid 19. Instead, focus on taking simple steps to prevent the spread of illness and remember to bring face covers.
Ask about safety precautions.
Doctors’ offices and hospitals are taking precautions to keep patients and patient families healthy. If you are unaware of the steps your provider is taking, call ahead of your appointment to ask. Safety precautions may include:
- Ensuring all team members wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE) including face masks
- Requiring patients and visitors to wear face masks when inside the health care facility
- Screening all staff, patients and visitors
- Limiting the number of guests allowed with each patient
- Rearranging waiting rooms to allow for social distancing
- Utilizing virtual visits to reduce the number of patients in the office
- Taking steps to sanitize the environment regularly
- Having separate “sick visit” hours from regular checkups
See your doctor virtually when available.
While health care providers are taking precautions to ensure in-person visits are safe, there may be times when your child’s medical needs can be addressed virtually. Check to see if your provider is offering telemedicine services and the best way to seek care for your situation. You can often see a provider virtually for common health concerns.
In addition, some routine and follow-up appointments can be handled virtually as long as no tests or vaccines are necessary. See more information about seeing a doctor virtually.
Wear face covers and clean your hands.
Some of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are simple ones. Make sure you and your child (ages 2 years and older) wear face covers to your appointment and that you clean your hands frequently. Many health care providers will have masks available for patients and visitors upon entering as well as provide hand sanitizer stations. However, it can be helpful to bring your own masks and hand sanitizer. So you have them whenever you need them. If you have a young child, see tips to help them adjust to wearing face covers.
Check in ahead of time.
When you visit your child’s doctor, you will typically need to fill out forms before your appointment, such as confirming your personal information, completing any health questionnaires and possibly answering COVID-19 screening questions. Ask your health care provider if you can complete these steps before you arrive to limit your time in the waiting room. This can often be done on a patient portal such as MyChart.
Prepare for your visit.
It can be helpful to make a list of questions or concerns ahead of your appointment so you can make the most use of your time. Make sure you’ve noted if you will need any prescription refills, documents for school or questions about keeping your child safe during COVID-19. And prepare face covers for both you and your children.
Know policies before you go with face covers.
Before you head to your doctor’s clinic or to the hospital, make sure you understand any COVID-19 safety policies. Offices may have visitor restrictions to limit the amount of people in the facility or requirements regarding face covers. Understanding these policies will help you feel informed about what to expect when you arrive at your child’s appointment.
While this time is challenging for everyone, please be assured that your health care team is there to support you.
