As the adage goes, the best defense is a good offense. While we may think of this in sports or military terms, it really applies to the importance of preparation and its impact on outcomes, whether positive or negative, in all that we do.
In terms of our current health crisis, safety and the protocols by which we protect our staff and patients cannot be underestimated, but it requires preparation.
While every practice will be a little different in how they craft their safety protocols, there are consistencies that exist for all—we want patients to have a smooth and thoughtful experience when they visit the practice. In order to do that, we need to think through the details of the staff and patient experience.
For example:
- Can we avoid surprise by alerting patients to new safety protocols before they come to the office?
- Are staff asked to be actively involved in creating and reviewing safety processes to ensure compliance?
- Do staff and patients understand the ‘why’ behind the safety protocols that have been enacted?
- Is there a process of regular review to ensure that what works is kept and what doesn’t work gets retooled?
In order to help practices answer these and many more questions to prepare for the return of staff and patients, Fuel has created two companion pieces to assist in the creation, communication and enactment of safety protocols. The first piece is designed to act as a guide for the discussions necessary to determine what will work in each environment, while the second piece is designed as a checklist to ensure that what you agreed to gets done.
The best defense is to get ahead of the questions, and these documents will help you do that.
Below is a daily sanitizing checklist template for practices to provide guidance on what should be sanitized throughout the day. For Fuel members, this checklist can be customized to their practice and needs.
In addition, here are clinic preparedness resources:
Centers for Disease Control (CDC): Get Your Clinic Ready for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
American Academy of Audiology: Booth Safety: COVID-19 and Beyond
American Academy of Audiology: Vestibular Testing Safety: COVID-19 and Beyond
