Changes Affecting Care Provision and Clinic Operations at Multiple Workflow Time Points in Two Federally Qualified Health Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020–2021
| Pre-Visit | Patient Visit | Post-Visit |
|---|---|---|
| Triage | Privacy | Billing |
| Determining how to optimally triage appointments to be either virtual or in person was an ongoing challenge. | The clinics deployed several strategies to increase privacy, which was a key need during virtual appointments. | Some patients did not understand that virtual appointments were formal medical appointments that required copays. As such, clinic personnel spent time educating the patients that telemedicine appointments were still subject to billing and copay processes. |
| Intake | Virtual Exam Guidance | |
| Intake for virtual appointments was conducted by phone instead of in person. Remote Monitoring Clinics encountered hurdles in obtaining information such as weight, blood pressure, and vitals remotely. They employed several tactics to address these challenges but reported that strengthening remote monitoring capacity was an ongoing priority. | Clinicians received trainings and best practice guidance for how to conduct medical examinations using only the information available virtually. Distractions Respondents reported navigating distractions during virtual appointments, including from background noise or patient multitasking. |