Hello all,
I just wanted to offer a progress report on my current clinical practice and my personal attempts to keep patients safe while still taking care of their medical needs. At this time, I am seeing most of my patients using virtual health, be it via video chat or phone calls. Once or twice a week I go into the office to administer Botox. Initially, I though we would forego Botox treatments entirely. However as a fellow headache sufferer and having a wife who suffers from migraines, I certainly do not want my patients experiencing increased headaches, especially during this time of stress. The other reality is that this crisis will sadly not be over quickly. We are currently being told the peak will likely occur in May or later. Thus, while not foolproof, our current approach is as follows:
1) Botox patients are seen after hours, that being evenings or weekends, after the majority of staff have gone home and while there are no other patients in the office.
2) By seeing Botox patients after hours, we can have all the patients park out back.
3) We only allow one patient (with no family members) into the office at a time.
4) To keep appointments brief, we do the health screening by telephone and also a brief questionnaire by phone or email. My website has the Botox questionnaire in the resource area. This should be completed prior to the appointment and emailed to me.
5) We practice very diligent hand washing and also wear a mask, gloves and a face shield. We also wipe down any surfaces that might be contaminated, including chairs.
6) For a busier Botox clinic ,we will get patients to deposit their Botox in a box in the back entrance, and then return to wait in their vehicle. They will not wait in our waiting room, but instead be brought right into our Botox treatment room.
7) As to the screening questionnaire, we ask that patients who have traveled abroad in the last 2 weeks or have been exposed to someone with the virus or are feeling ill delay their appointment with us.
If any patient has concerns or questions please email me personally. Praying you stay safe.