Providing quality healthcare in the midst of a pandemic has presented new challenges for healthcare professionals. In response, recently developed global health standards require fresh education and adaptation on the part of physicians working in a pandemic setting. Read our frequently asked questions about healthcare during a pandemic and learn how physicians can provide the best possible care during this time and future times like it.
- Do patients trust their doctors, and if not, why? Why is trust important in healthcare? To get the most from the patient-doctor relationship, trust is essential. While trust in healthcare workers is relatively high, trust in the healthcare system at a larger level is much lower. Mistrust has only risen during the pandemic due to concerns over vaccine safety and discomfort with national health organization recommendations such as masking.
- What do OB/GYNs need to know about Right to Try and Expanded Access to clinical trials? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Expanded Access Program and the federal Right to Try Act increase patients' access to devices and therapeutic drugs that have not yet been approved by the FDA. Learn more about how clinical trials operate as well as the implications Expanded Access and Right to Try have for clinical trials.
- What is the COVID vaccine's effect on menstrual cycles? Many patients have read or seen news reports about the effects the COVID vaccine can have on the menstrual cycle—but what does the research say? Thus far, the evidence is anecdotal, but some trends have emerged.
- How should you advise your patients on the COVID vaccine and pregnancy? Many patients come to their OB/GYNs wondering whether it's safe for them to receive a COVID-19 vaccine while pregnant. Learn what the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) have to say as well as the current vaccination guidance for your pregnant patients.
- How can physicians provide accurate patient education on vaccines? The COVID-19 pandemic has increased vaccine hesitancy across the United States and the world. Patient education on vaccines — specifically around the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and the risk of blood clots — can help patients with vaccine hesitancy make informed decisions.
- Counseling IVF patients during a crisis: how can OB/GYNs create a fertility clinic emergency plan? It's important that reproductive specialists counsel their IVF patients with sensitivity and emotional intelligence. Approaching patient questions with empathy, confidence and evidence-based information goes a long way toward gaining their trust. Creating a fertility clinic emergency plan can reassure patients about the safety of their eggs, sperm and embryos.
Providing quality, responsive healthcare during a pandemic requires flexibility, resilience and an ability to learn on the go. Brushing up on access to clinical trials, the latest research on the safety of the COVID vaccine and the current status of trust in healthcare can make it easier to reassure your patients and deliver quality care.
