As medical clinics begin to open around the country, some patients are canceling their appointments at the last minute because of fears of becoming infected with COVID-19. This trend is worrying to neurologists like me and other physicians because delays in care can have long-term consequences. For instance, a new symptom that isn’t examined when it first appears may worsen or result in unintended consequences. Additionally, postponing or canceling in-person visits can lead to disease progression and complications that could require hospitalization.

During these times, we understand why you may feel apprehensive about returning to the clinic. But we want you to know that we consider many factors in determining who requires an in-person consultation. We review the local and state guidelines, the patient’s condition, medical history, age, and care goals.

In addition, we are implementing safety measures in our waiting rooms—limiting the number of physicians and patients at any given time, requiring masks for everyone, placing patients in examination rooms as soon as they check in, and following stringent disinfection procedures after each room is used—in order to maintain social distancing and minimize exposure.

In some states such as Colorado, the public health departments pose a series of questions on their websites that help patients determine if a face-to-face visit is appropriate. For example, if you answer yes to the questions, “Are you over age 65?” or “Do you have health conditions [from a list provided]?” then staying home is still recommended for any activity that isn’t essential.

Before you cancel your appointment, call your doctor’s office to find out how best to proceed. If it’s a routine follow-up for well-controlled migraine, for example, an in-person visit can probably be delayed or handled via telehealth. If you have a deep brain stimulation device that needs to be adjusted, you may need to see your doctor. The key is to communicate with your doctor so the two of you can discuss the best way forward. This will help avoid problems that can result from an interruption in appropriate care.

Read More:

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and Neurologic Disease Resource Center