المفاهيم الأساسية
Providers are adapting to post-PHE clinical care changes.
الملخص
Editor's note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape's Coronavirus Resource Center.
Providers' Adjustment to Post-PHE Clinical Care
- Sterling Ransone, Jr, MD, shares his experience of transitioning to seeing patients without masks.
- The White House lifted the PHE order, requiring healthcare providers to readjust.
- Clinicians like Ransone are adapting to new policies and patient interactions.
- Masks are optional, but some providers, like Niharika Khanna, MD, still choose to wear them.
- Patients' reactions to the end of masking in doctor offices vary.
- The AAFP emphasizes the importance of vaccination to limit COVID-19 spread.
Shifting Landscape of Vaccinations and Testing
- The government will continue to provide free COVID-19 vaccines until supplies last.
- Commercial insurance providers will cover vaccines once the government's stock depletes.
- COVID-19 tests are no longer covered, posing challenges for patients and providers.
- Medicaid changes may impact patient access to care and treatments.
Future of Telehealth and Medicaid
- Telehealth regulations have allowed better access to care, especially for underserved patients.
- Medicaid eligibility checks may lead to millions losing coverage, affecting patient care.
- Hospitals must report COVID-19 test results, and CDC will monitor virus levels through 2024.
Staying Mindful and Cautious
- Providers are reminded not to become complacent despite the easing of restrictions.
- Ransone highlights the importance of recognizing new COVID-19 symptoms.
- The move away from universal masking has benefits for communication with older patients.
الإحصائيات
"The White House last week lifted the public health emergency (PHE) order that overhauled the way healthcare providers operated and advised patients over the past 3 years."
"COVID-19 tests, meanwhile, are no longer covered because of the end of the public health emergency, and cost about $45 per kit on average."
"About half of the patients who see Khanna have insurance through Medicaid."
اقتباسات
"I can't tell you how weird it was the first day that I walked down the hall from my office to where my exam rooms are, to not have a mask on after three years of the habit." - Sterling Ransone, Jr, MD
"When the patient first walks up to you, you have no idea what they have." - Niharika Khanna, MD, MBBS