8 Ways for Businesses to Ensure Patient Safety During COVID-19

No matter what kind of business or health care center you run, there are bound to be at least a few safety issues with the pandemic, especially as new variants begin to pop up and cause concern with the general public. If you’re looking to keep your patients safe throughout the pandemic, there are plenty of precautions you can take in order to make that happen. Whether you live in a highly populated area with lots of exposure risk or you simply want to be as careful as possible, here are a few policies you can put into place to ensure patient safety.

1. Mask Your Staff

   If you want to make sure that your staff — as well as your patients — stay safe and healthy, requiring masks all around is one of the best ways to make sure you keep everyone in the best shape possible. Although some businesses aren’t requiring their staff to wear masks anymore if they’re fully vaccinated, having the people who are consistently in contact with one another and the public stay protected is a good choice for your business all around.

2. Require Masks for Patients

   Even if some businesses aren’t requiring masks for their patients, many continue to require them for staff, but why not make the commitment to keeping everyone safe regardless of what side of the interaction they’re on? Especially with businesses that are public-facing and that involve interactions with people who may spread the virus, keeping everyone masked up whenever possible can be the easiest way to ensure everyone’s safety.

3. Remain Remote Whenever Possible

   Of course, the world is beginning to open up again post-vaccine, but that doesn’t mean you need to rush to bring everyone back to in-person interaction right away. There are so many ways that remaining remote can be a great option for a variety of businesses. Especially with the past year of learning and adjusting to remote interactions, keeping things going can even be the easiest option. Between Zoom interactions, telehealth, and remote payments, there are several easy ways to limit risk completely by keeping people at home safely.

4. Check Vaccination Status

   It can be tempting to go on the honor system and assume that everyone is vaccinated, but it’s important to actually check vaccination status upon entry, especially if you’re allowing people to go maskless. Some businesses are tougher spaces to practice this than others, but if you can consistently check vaccines, you should do it, as it can make a big impact in the long run.

5. Check Temperatures

   Just like checking vaccinations, checking temperatures can be a great way to ensure that everyone entering your space is healthy and safe — COVID or no COVID. Think about it — should someone with a fever be entering your business anyway, for their health and safety or that of the people around them? Probably not. Whether it’s the flu, COVID, or any other illness, making sure that none of it passes through your doors can stop it in its tracks.

6. Practice Social Distancing

   This has been a hot topic since the beginning of the pandemic, but it’s just as important to practice it even with masks and vaccinations. Keeping six feet of distance between each person — both in terms of the staff and those on the other side of the business — can be a great way to ensure the spread slows or even stops within your business. Of course, this can’t always be possible, especially with medical practices that require hands-on contact, but trying your best whenever possible can be crucial.

7. Clean Regularly

   Disinfecting regularly is a highly important part of keeping your business clean and free of viruses and bacteria. Again, COVID or no COVID, this is an important piece of protecting your patients and staff. Especially during cold and flu seasons, regular disinfecting and cleaning can make sure your patients aren’t coming into contact with germs. Disinfecting common spaces — especially things like faucets, doorknobs, and other high-traffic surfaces — can help keep the spread under control.

8. Make a Safe Space for Questions and Concerns

   Even with all of your protocols in place, keeping people comfortable should be your top priority. Therefore, if your employees or patients have concerns and questions, be open to them, and talk with those who have suggestions to make your space safer for everyone.

Ensuring Patient Safety Against COVID

No matter what the exact flow or function of your business is, you can take the steps to make sure your patients stay safe, even during a global pandemic. Health and safety is the most important thing, so it should be the top priority. Do you already use some of these tips in your business?