A new physician practice reopening guide from the American Medical Association’s (AMA) joins a growing list of AMA tools and resources, as the association remains dedicated to supplying physicians with the comprehensive guidance needed for patient care amid the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

“The AMA believes decisions about public health and the provision of health care—including decisions to allow non-urgent or elective medical procedures amid the COVID-19 pandemic —should be made based on science, evidence and data,” says AMA president Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA, in a release. “With some physicians beginning the process of reopening their practices, this essential resource supplies them with guidance to do so while keeping patients, staff, and the general public as safe as possible from a COVID-19 resurgence. The AMA remains focused on ensuring the viability of physicians’ practices that have been seriously impacted by this public health crisis and will continue providing support while aggressively advocating on physicians’ and patients’ behalf.”

The 6-page free downloadable “A Physician Practice Guide to Reopening” guide is available online.

Highlights include:

  • Sit down with a calendar and chart out your expected reopening day and, ideally, a period of “soft reopening” where you can reopen incrementally.
  • Consider bringing employees back in phases, or working on alternating days or different parts of the day, as this will reduce contact.
  • Limit patient companions to individuals whose participation in the appointment is necessary based on the patient’s situation.
  • Utilize a tele-triage program to ensure that patients seeking appointments are put on the right path by discussing the patient’s condition and symptoms.