by
John R. Fischer, Senior Reporter | October 05, 2020
From the October 2020 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
A new way of doing things
Proton facilities like Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine are finding ways to reduce foot traffic with the use of telehealth. In addition to cutting down on the risk of spreading COVID-19, telehealth visits prior to and in-between planning and treatment sessions provide a less stressful experience for patients, who can interface with their care team from the comfort of home.
“We’re now a hybrid model,” said Dr. Michelle Alonso-Basanta, vice chair of the clinical division for the department of radiation oncology at Penn Medicine. “We did go to telehealth early on in the process but still had in-person visits, especially for very symptomatic patients, both new and returning patients. Then we switched to hybrid. Most of our new patients are in-person, although we are still providing telehealth for both new and returning patients. The use of telehealth allows us to see our new patients in a timely manner, with our preference for video visits but also including telephone visits for those without video capacity.”
Proton therapy providers have also implemented new regulations requiring staff to wear masks at all times and gloves when handling patients, practice social distancing, and abide by hand sanitizing policies. Some have shut down their lobbies, requiring patients to instead wait in their vehicles and go through a screening station in front of their facilities before entering. Proton International at UAB directed any staff members that could work from home to do so.
"We have tried to limit our exposure risks outside of work and use PPE when appropriate, as losing even one or two staff members to infection or quarantine would significantly hamper operations," said Dr. J.W. Snider, associate professor of radiation oncology at UAB and medical director of the proton center. "Our staff has tried to be conscientious in their personal lives as well to try to protect themselves, their patients, and their coworkers from infection."
Resources and guidelines to support healthcare providers have been issued by health departments and government agencies like the CDC. In addition, proton centers in places that experienced the brunt of the pandemic early on, (New York and Seattle, for instance) have also passed along lessons learned to their peers in other regions via virtual meetings. Tom Wang, president of ProCure Proton Center in New Jersey, says the best guidance he got was a decision tree issued by the state’s Department of Health.
