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With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging globally, the healthcare community is still trying its best to adapt to the newfound circumstances. With the healthcare workers at the forefront of the fight with the coronavirus, the initial response was to protect them by putting safety protocols in place to keep both patients and workers safe.
Among the suggested changes were implementing broad reception areas with social separation between patients and staff, negative pressure spaces (where it is possible), higher use of disinfectants, strict sterilization procedures, strict adherence to the use of N-95 masks, and personal protective equipment. The healthcare community also encouraged medical practices to use phone triage and follow the appointment schedule strictly to avoid crowding and thus minimize the risk of transmission.
There are many problems left that the healthcare industry needs to tackle and solve, but something that individual medical practices have to figure out on their own is getting a steady influx of patients.
Dr. Gregory Crichlow is the founder and owner of AvantBlue Medical Systems, a private healthcare practice that, like many others, was impacted by COVID-19. Still, with quick and innovative thinking, Dr. Crichlow and his team managed to come out on top.
“Initially, the pandemic was quite stressful because of the lockdowns and uncertainty,” Dr. Crichlow says. “However, I took advantage of that and decided to spend some time with my family, and I actively encouraged my employees to do the same.”
He goes on to say that this “little vacation” allowed him and his team to return to work refreshed, creative, and ready to face any challenges that came their way. The main problem that they had to tackle was the decreased number of patients.
Though there were fewer patients, there was still a demand for medical care. According to Dr. Gregory Crichlow, the first thing that he and his team focused on was “moving their patients from just a customer to a raving fan” by using social media and online services to capitalize on that unmet demand.
Dr. Crichlow further points out that medical practices need to set themselves apart from other practices by providing unique services. “We implemented the use of the “virtual consultation” and started using social media platforms to enhance patient education. For example, we regularly provide live tutorials through IGTV,” he explains.
“This personal connection with clients and community was the thing that got us through the pandemic,” says Dr. Gregory Crichlow. “We also discovered a few novel ways to improve and expand our services and standards. As a result, we saw an improvement in our delivery of business, and we are beginning to see the first signs of an increase.”
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Photo provided by the author.