Get Back on Track
When COVID-19 overran hospitals and healthcare provider offices, many of us postponed routine healthcare appointments and procedures. Whether it was because hospitals stopped receiving patients for anything but critical care or because we were uncomfortable in healthcare settings, we pushed a lot of preventive and maintenance care off of our schedules. Now the medical profession is telling us it’s time to get back on track because, while postponing those appointments might have seemed insignificant at the time, it could come back to haunt us if we don’t get back on a schedule.
As Dr. Adam Steinberg, a vice president for medical affairs at Hartford HealthCare, put it, “If you don’t seek care, there can be long-lasting, permanent consequences that can affect your quality of life.”
Routine and preventive care. Sure, that annual check-up usually comes back all clear, but that doesn’t mean you can skip it. Countless people have been saved by discoveries made during basic exams.
Childhood immunizations. During the last couple of years, millions of children did not receive vaccines that would have been part of routine pediatrician visits.
Teen and adult vaccinations. Teenagers and older adults also skipped routine shots, such as HPV, pneumonia, shingles and hepatitis.
Eyes, ears and mouth. Many of us cancelled regular eye, teeth and hearing exams.
Care for chronic conditions. People with diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions often were told to wait for care appointments … and then never rescheduled.
Preventive procedures. Colonoscopies, mammograms and other routine screenings were often postponed out of COVID concerns.
Why is now the time to get back on track with this kind of care? First of all, while some hospitals and doctors’ offices were swamped when the pandemic first started to decline, now patients are finding it easier to see their caregivers. At the same time, if your concern was that you might contract COVID by going into a care setting, you can rest easy. Healthcare providers have learned a lot about COVID and how to prevent its spread. As a result, you’ll find that they take the highest levels of precaution, still requiring masks, temperature checks and so on, even as the rest of the world relaxes protocols.
So, get your family back on track for routine care. You’ll all benefit now and for a long time to come.
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Tags: health, preventive care, Vaccinations