Before providing you with new additional information regarding changes to my medical practice and the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, PLEASE NOTE: Our greatest concern is your health and that for all who surround you.
Based on the current crisis situation with COVID-19 coronavirus, Medicare and most other health insurances have now provided temporary approval to perform Virtual/Tele-Health visits at the level of in-office visits.
More complex medical care may still require an in-office visit and a physical exam and we will continue to have our office open to meet your needs, same day or next day.
Therefore, effective IMMEDIATELY, Mobile Physician Associates will offer “Virtual” medical visits utilizing simple, yet effective technology. Using a tablet, smart phone, laptop or desktop, the patient, family, caregiver or nurse will be able to schedule a visit and receive medical care, from me, via a live video and audio connection. This can be used to manage some acute/chronic medical conditions and review/refill medications. This new service is open to our existing patients and new patients.
The process to schedule the “Virtual” medical visits will be exactly the same, as scheduling our typical in-office medical visits, EXCEPT prior to the “Virtual” medical visit, you will need to install a simple App on your device. You can find easy to follow instructions below and on our website www.mymobilephysician.com -> Virtual/Tele-Health Visit.
For necessary in-office medical visits, we have implemented protocols and secured all necessary supplies to reduce risk of infection (N95 NIOSH certified respirators and other infection risk control supplies).
To date, we have been successful with screening all healthcare providers, patients, caregivers and family members by phone, prior to a visit, for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 coronavirus infection. This greatly improves the chances that all patients and medical staff are kept safe and healthy, as unwell or infected medical staff will further reduce the healthcare work force and your access to medical care.
For most of the United States and many other countries, severe measures have been put in place to reduce a spike in COVID-19 infections that can quickly overwhelm our healthcare system. By all individuals adhering to “social distancing”, we hope to “flatten the curve” of infections to a level that can be manageable over a period of time. This tactic is known to work if implemented quickly and adhered to by ALL.
I continue to stay very informed with the latest COVID-19 events and have performed considerable research for YOU. Since the last email, much has changed with regard to possible effective treatments, though none have been approved by local, state or federal organizations. There are many active clinical trials in progress to better understand which treatment medications (current and new) may show promise to reduce the mortality rate. Some of these medications when used appropriately and early seem to have significantly reduced mortality in China. Unfortunately, as of this email, there STILL is no consensus or guidance from a federal or state agency as to any treatment, except supportive care.
I continue to take the extraordinary steps of recommending potential treatments for patients who are at high risk of mortality (i.e. over 65 years old, chronic pulmonary and/or cardiac issues, diabetes,
immuno-suppressed). These treatments have shown promise BUT HAVE NOT been FDA approved for COVID-19 coronavirus and would be used “off label”.
Data is taken from the use of these treatments around the world. Current clinical trials are ongoing, but data will not be available for weeks.
These treatments would only be used if there is high likelihood of COVID-19 coronavirus infection, with symptoms, and a lack of ER and/or hospital access.
For my active patients, we can discuss these treatments during our next in-office or “Virtual” visit.
In conclusion, PLEASE DO NOT PANIC.
For the vast majority of us, this is just another cold, BUT we need to be diligent to protect the highest risk individuals (elderly, chronic conditions) with a possible mortality rate as high as 15%, if they
become infected with COVID-19 coronavirus.