Should I stay (home) or should I go (to the doctor)?
“I know the doctor wanted to follow-up on my mom’s dementia and blood pressure, but I’m going to delay the appointment because of the COVID-19 outbreak. I don’t want to risk exposing her to the virus.”
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“My doctor wants to see me if my blood pressure gets too high. I have to admit that my readings have been high lately, but I’m not going to see my doctor – I just don’t want to risk getting COVID!”
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As I’ve been checking on people in the past couple of months, these are some of the comments I have heard. At first, when I was naively optimistic that the crisis would pass in 6 weeks – 10 weeks tops! – these decisions seemed reasonable. Now that the consistent message is that we’ll be living with risks of COVID-19 for at least a year, likely longer, I think it’s worth re-evaluating the decision to avoid seeing the doctor. It’s time to examine the options and the risks from all sides to make an informed decision, instead of a reactive one.
Doctors are worried that some patients are putting their health at risk by avoiding care for chronic or emergency health concerns, because they’re worried about catching the COVID virus.
Image by Parentingupstream from Pixabay.
Doctors are concerned that, since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, some patients are waiting longer to seek care for medical emergencies (1, 2) – they are avoiding medical treatment for fear of exposure to the novel coronavirus. A recent survey of Albertans indicated that 80% are at least somewhat comfortable with the idea of going to visit their doctor, but I worry that those with fears are those who would benefit most from medical care – namely those who have chronic conditions, like diabetes, high blood pressure, and respiratory diseases. I suspect these individuals would have the greatest fears, because they have the greatest risk of experiencing serious symptoms if they become ill with COVID-19. These are reasonable fears! But it’s important to recognize that infection from novel coronavirus isn’t their only health risk. The best way to balance those risks is through conversation with your doctor’s office.
Many doctors have are consulting patients by phone or video conference to provide ongoing care, while limiting exposure to the COVID virus.
Image by Marco Verch is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Call your doctor’s office, and find out the options you have for follow-up care with your doctor. If you are uncomfortable with going to see your doctor due to risk of infection, start by requesting a telephone or video call consultation – many doctors are offering these remote consultations (1, 2, 3, 4) when possible to limit risk of infection with the novel coronavirus. Some elements of evaluation and care can be done effectively over the phone or video call, especially if you prepare well. One tool that can help is a good symptom and wellness diary to provide an accurate summary of your health and wellness over time.
If your doctor suggests that they need to see you at an in-person appointment, and that worries you ask:
what can be gained from doing that assessment?
what is risked by not doing the assessment?
is there another way of getting similar information that doesn’t require an in-person assessment, e.g. is there something that you should observe and document regularly in your symptom diary as a useful measure of stability versus decline?
what steps is the clinic taking to prevent infection with the novel coronavirus – including hygiene (you can expect this to be really good), as well as limiting exposure to other patients? and
can they give you meaningful context to understand the risks of choosing to see the doctor versus choosing to stay home?
If you want to be an empowered patient, this is best achieved by communicating with your doctor to learn your options and the various risks you’re facing. You are worthy of receiving care for your overall health and wellbeing, and there are ways to achieve care while limiting your COVID-19 risk. After learning your options, you might decide that it’s still not worth the risk to go see your doctor; but you also might decide that not seeing your doctor is a bigger risk.
If you feel fear because of competing risks on your health – both chronic conditions and risk of coronavirus infection – call or email us at Navigate Your Health, to speak to a trusted health navigator and advocate, to help you explore your care options and to decide what’s right for you.