The New Normal: This is what your first derma visit might be like after the lockdown is lifted

Welcome to the new normal. We were told COVID-19 will change the way we live, and it has. With the threat of the virus and the possibility of another wave looming over our heads, it will be ill-advised to just go back to the way things were.

We are going to have to make big adjustments. Visiting family, traveling, shopping, dining out, going to the movies, as well as regular visits to your doctor, dentist, and derma will not be the same. 

We spoke with a couple of dermatologists to learn how they are preparing for the new normal and to find out what patients can expect on their first visit to the derma once the lockdown is lifted.

Get Used to Teleconsultations
Because of the threat posed by COVID-19, expect derma consultations to be conducted online instead.  Your derma has probably already taken their first steps in digitizing their practice.

To adapt to the new normal, Dr. Maximin Navarro, a Fellow of the Philippine Dermatological Society and co-founder of Bella Pelle Philippines, a local online site where you can find premium dermatologically approved skincare products, has started doing teledermatology consultations on the Bella Pelle website. He is also planning to take his seminars online by conducting free dermatology webinars related to his field of expertise.

Dr. Stephanie Sy-Chua, another Fellow of the Philippine Dermatological Society, is doing teledermatology consultations, too. “Patients who plan to see their dermatologist may opt to do teleconsultatoions first.” She adds that most doctors have Medifi and SeriousMD, apps aimed at making e-consultations easier.

“Medifi is a telehealth platform that enables patients to remotely connect with their doctors and conduct secure and meaningful medical consultations online,” it introduces itself online.

SeriousMD, on the other hand, is a Practice Management app that equips medical practitioners with essential tools like Appointment Management, Electronic Medical Records, Billing, Analytics, and more.

“Some hospitals, like Cardinal Santos Medical Center, The Medical City, and St. Luke’s Medical Center, also do e-consults” says Sy-Chua.

Prepare to Follow Strict Safety Guidelines

A visit to the derma used to be pretty straightforward. Post-COVID, it’s a little more complicated and tedious. You and your doctor will now be required to take extraordinary measures to stay safe and COVID-free.

Navarro says he is open to seeing patients once the GCQ is implemented in the NCR, but adds that personal consultations will have to adhere to strict safety guidelines for everyone: the employees and doctors at the clinic and the patients. 

“The Philippine Dermatological Society has already released a guideline for us to follow in re-opening our clinics to ensure that there will be no transmission of COVID-19,” Navarro says.

The guideline now requires clinics to have open windows to provide enough ventilation, set up a foot bath at the entrance, sanitize hands with 70% isopropyl alcohol, and provide surgical masks to patients who aren’t wearing one.

Proper wearing of PPEs will also be observed: a three-ply surgical mask, goggles/face shield, and gloves for the receptionist; N95 mask, goggles/faceshield, gown, and gloves for the nurse and dermatologist; and a three-ply surgical mask for the patient.

What’s more, everyone entering the clinic will be subject to a temperature scan and all patients will be required to fill up a screening form.

“If the patient really needs to be seen face-to-face, we will schedule a clinic visit, but all clinic visits will be by appointment only,” says Sy-Chua.

And if you think booking appointments were hard in the days before Covid, they’re only about to get harder.

According to the Philippine Dermatological Society’s guideline, to ensure that physical distancing is observed, only one patient will be seen per hour and only a maximum of five patients will be seen per day, with clinic hours limited to only six a day.

A maximum of two employees will be allowed on duty per day and only one dermatologist will be on duty at the clinic at a time. Overlapping of schedules for dermatologists will not be allowed.

Sy-Chua adds that patients visiting her clinics will be asked to enter 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment so they can avoid waiting inside the hospital premises longer than necessary and will be required to sanitize their hands upon entry. Once inside the clinic, Sy-Chua says doctor and patient will be seated two meters apart, with a plastic barrier separating them.

Clinics Will Practice Extensive Sanitation Procedures Diligently

As for equipment (tables, chairs, dermatoscope, lamp switch, etc.), according to Sy-Chua, they will be covered in plastic and disinfected using 70 percent alcohol or diluted bleach solution.

Meanwhile Navarro says, “We will be using WHO-recommended products for disinfecting the surfaces of tabletops, countertops, exam beds/tables, doorknobs, and exam light buttons/handles between each patient, as well as high-touch areas like the reception area and bathroom during a clinic day. Moreover, there will be HEPA and ULPA filters and smoke evacuators that will be placed in the clinic. And we will be utilizing UVC light for after-clinic treatment.”

You’ll Have to Do Without That Facial Longer Than You Think

If you think you can finally schedule that facial once the quarantine is lifted, think again. “For now, there will be no aesthetic or elective procedures," Sy-Chua said. (Elective procedures are procedures that can be put off for at least three months, meaning nothing will happen to the patient if the procedure cannot be done within three months).

For emergent cases, the patient will need to have an RT-PCR test done for COVID prior to the procedure,” Sy-Chua says.

Adds Navarro, “The risk of getting COVID-19  outweighs the benefits of doing procedures. Elective dermatological surgical procedures, aesthetic and cosmetic procedures can wait. I will only do them once the status in the NCR has been classified as GCQ and the cases of COVID-19 has declined significantly.” — LA, GMA News