As the world continues to fight COVID-19, Texas Children’s has implemented a number of changes to create an overall health care experience that promotes social distancing — tagged a touchless experience.
This experience strives to strike a balance between enforcing an important life-saving practice, while also maintaining the high quality care that our patients and families expect. Employees’ health and well-being is also a priority as changes around the organization are made. These are many of the new procedures in place:
MyChart Pre Check-In
For many years now, patients and families have been able to access MyChart to schedule appointments, access medical records, refill prescriptions and contact providers. But amid our current pandemic, there is an even greater emphasis on the PreCheck-In feature.
Launched last summer, this feature allows the patient to complete the check-in process online, which includes updating demographics and insurance information, signing documents, making payments, verifying meds and allergies, and answering patient questionnaires. PreCheck-In saves patients time, limits interaction with our staff, and reduces the amount of time spent at registration desks when they arrive for an appointment.
Video visits
MyChart also allows patients to complete video visits depending on the specific health care need. Each patient is evaluated individually to determine qualification, but the level of convenience and effectiveness is nothing short of remarkable.
In an article previously reported in Connect news Dr. Jeffrey Kim, director of the Arrhythmia and Pacing (Electrophysiology) Service at Texas Children’s Hospital, said his patients are good candidates for video visits because they typically don’t need surgical intervention. For about a month during the pandemic, Kim said almost all arrhythmia and pacing patients were utilizing video visits.
During that interview Kim mentioned that he’d conducted an appointment with a patient while they were standing in the middle of a field on their ranch.
Texas Children’s Pediatrics and Urgent Care Centers are also using video visits. For more information about MyChart video visits, go to texaschildrens.org/mychartvideo
Drive-Through visits
When video and other e-health options are not available, drive-through care is a growing option at some Texas Children’s clinics.
OB Drive-Through Clinic: The drive-through prenatal care clinic at Texas Children’s allows pregnant women who do not need to be seen in the clinic to remain in their vehicles while being assessed by a health care professional. This reduces potential patient, health care professional, and staff exposure to COVID-19.
Drive-Through Pharmacy: Texas Children’s Pharmacy Services is now offering curbside pick-up. All Texas Children’s patients are eligible for this prescription service and can pick up refills and new prescriptions at select locations.
Drive-Through Patient Express: The Dermatology Clinic at Texas Children’s also offers drive-through services in the innovate “Patient Express” line located in a section of the Wallace Tower valet line. Additional service lines and procedures from around the organization are likely to be available in the Patient Express soon.
Physical distancing at Texas Children’s facilities
- Pre-check in ambassadors are now in place in elevator lobbies, eliminating the need for patients and families to press elevator buttons.
- Employees are encouraged to use service elevators or take the stairs so that main elevators can be reserved for patients and families.
- Floor stickers and signage as a reminder of a 6-foot distance requirement have been placed throughout our organization.
- Furniture in dining and waiting areas have been spread apart at least six-feet.
- Any patients who are diagnosed with COVID-19 are immediately isolated and not cared for within proximity of non-COVID patients.
- Providers and staff are continuously being trained to provide optimum treatment while not physically touching patients and families.
“I am so proud of the way our organization has adapted to this demand for new health care options,” said Paige Schulz, assistant vice president for Clinical Support and Research Administration.
Schulz says Texas Children’s success during this time can largely be attributed to our spirit of innovation and willingness to embrace change. “As technology evolves and we continue to listen to the needs of our families, additional procedures may be implemented to keep our employees, patients and families safe.”
For a glimpse of what a visit to the hospital might look like, view our latest video.