Most medical practice leaders have faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic that necessitated impromptu changes in various workflows, both for in-office visits and virtual care delivery.
These changes to normal operating procedures pose specific issues for medical group leaders to address four key areas in patient engagement:
- Communication
- Scheduling methodology
- Visit protocol
- Community engagement.
Changing how care and treatment are delivered mean that patients need to be aware of changes to appointment setup and care delivery options, especially as practices bring more patients back into physical locations with revised safety protocols, visitor policies and other expectations that are new to patients who have not been in a clinic since the start of the COVID-19 crisis.
This robust level of communication is also important to build trust with your patients and seen as a reliable source for information when COVID-19 infections surge in a given region, especially if a second wave develops amid flu season or beyond.
The following patient engagement flowchart provides a structure for practice leaders to emphasize key information to the patient population and manage resulting issues with scheduling, patient access gaps and reimbursement for appointment types.
This resource is part of the MGMA COVID-19 Recovery Toolkit for medical practices.
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