As healthcare facilities and physician practices across the country are gradually expanding in-person care services, patient and staff safety is crucial in determining an ideal continuity of care approach. For patients with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, it is especially important to select a diagnostic and treatment plan that reduces stress and anxiety, which have been linked to causing additional GI complications including flare ups, digestion and motility issues, and buildup of bacteria in the gut.
Here are three best practices that promote the wellbeing of healthcare providers and their patients suffering from GI ailments during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
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- Limit In-Person Appointments: To alleviate the risk of exposure to COVID-19, reduce the number of patients receiving in-person care by continuing to use telehealth screenings and virtual appointments to treat those with non-urgent GI symptoms.
- Follow Preventative Safety Measures for In-Person Visits: When in-person care is necessary, follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations and American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) guidelines for wearing masks, following proper hand hygiene, ensuring social distancing when possible, and requiring COVID-19 screenings prior to anyone entering the facility. Non-essential guests should also be asked to wait outside.
- Use At-Home Diagnostic Test Kits: Limiting in-person visits does not have to disrupt continuity of care for patients needing diagnostic services. Diagnostic testing for functional GI disorders can be performed in the comfort and safety of a patient’s home while freeing up valuable resources for healthcare providers.
Commonwealth Diagnostics International, Inc. (CDI) provides non-invasive at-home breath test kits for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and carbohydrate malabsorption disorders that help physicians obtain accurate results to inform diagnostic and treatment plans. CDI’s diagnostic test kits not only help support meaningful health outcomes, but they also are easy-to-use, quick, safe and cost-effective.
While there are various ways to address patient and staff safety during this challenging time, at-home diagnostic test kits ensure continuity of care, provide an extra level of comfort for patients, and help healthcare providers better manage resource restrictions.
Get started with CDI’s at-home breath test kits today.
