Connective Issues - Summer 2020

GUIDANCE ON WHEN AND HOW TO RESUME MEDICAL CARE

The Marfan Foundation, in collaboration with our Professional Advisory Board, continues to monitor the news regarding COVID-19 and wants to provide updated information for our community. Recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlined guidance about resuming in-person medical care. We want to pass on some of that guidance to our community about resuming in-person care because, for many, this is an area of much anxiety. At this time, many areas have a low, or relatively low, and stable incidence of COVID-19, and some facilities are beginning to provide care for patients needing non- emergent, non-COVID-19 healthcare as well as certain surgeries and procedures, chronic disease care, and, ultimately, preventive care. It is known that people continue to have ongoing healthcare needs that are currently being deferred. Here is guidance to determine if your area is ready to re-establish in-person management when necessary. Please remember that these guidelines are based on your local area and cannot be generalized. Maintain clear lines of communication with your medical team. This is a confusing time. Many people with complex chronic conditions that require management should discuss all options with their physicians and ask questions to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information. Stay in touch with your medical team even if you can’t meet them in person. It can be intimidating to decide when to seek medical care if you believe your health status

has changed. Many physicians are engaging in telehealth to stay in touch with patients. Anyone who requires a cardiac or vascular procedure should feel free to call your medical team to inquire about your changing status and how it affects your treatment. This is especially true for those who previously had no symptoms or mild symptoms, but now have increased symptoms since the COVID-19 outbreak. When trying to decide when is the appropriate time to resume in-person visits ask questions, such as: • Does your facility have non-COVID designated areas? Do people entering these areas get screened for symptoms? • What policies are in place for minimizing time in waiting areas? Are chairs spaced at least 6 feet apart and is there a limit to how many people can be in the waiting areas at the same time? • What is your facility’s social distancing policy for medical professionals? How will this affect my visit and/ or my stay in your facility? • What is your facility’s policy regarding elective surgeries? Have these policies changed in the past week? • What is your facility’s current capacity for surgical and pre-surgical patients? Do you anticipate this changing in the next week or two?

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