COVID-19 Safety Plan

COVID-19 Clinic Protocols

Pre-screening of Patients and Practitioners

1. Patient Screening Prior to Arrival:

A patient must not:

• Have been outside BC in the last 14 days
• Have any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, loss of smell or taste
• Have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last month or be waiting for the results of a test
• Have been in contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days. If quarantine has been required, it must have been completed.

One day prior to your appointment, we will call to connect personally with you asking you to complete the BC COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment. Please stay home if experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 including fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, loss of sense of smell. If experiencing any of these symptoms and you have not been tested for COVID-19, you should call 8-1-1.

Informed consent is required. This includes ensuring that you understand that while we have taken measures to minimize the risk of viral transmission, the nature of hands-on treatment means that physical distancing is not possible in the treatment room.

High-Risk Patients. This includes but is not limited to: Age over 70 years and people who are: diabetic, immunosuppressed, undergoing treatment for cancer, suffering from cardiovascular disease, and other conditions. Assessment and explanation of the heightened risks will be part of the informed consent procedure.

 2. Practitioner and Staff Screening:

All Practitioners at our clinic will use the BC COVID-19 self- assessment tool daily and log our results and stay home/cancel appointments if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

Scheduled Appointments

1. All appointments have a 15min break between them:

This provides us with 15 minutes to change clothes/mask, clean all surfaces in the treatment room and reception after the patient has left.

2. Stagger Patients and their Appointments:

We have staggered patient’s appointment start times to maximize social distancing.

3. Cancellations due to COVID-19:

 We have a more flexible cancellation policy should you find out you have been exposed to/have COVID-19 within the 24-hour cancellation window; patients can contact us to cancel with no penalty if due to COVID-19 exposure.

Patient Arrival

• Patients can either bring their own mask to our office or we will provide a clean mask for you to wear on entry.
• Hand sanitizer or handwashing facilities are available on entry to the clinic with a sign instructing patients to wash/clean their hands upon arrival,
• and handwashing protocols.
• All patients in reception must sit at least 2 meters apart. We have removed chairs and taped off chairs in the reception so that patients do not sit together.
• Patients must come to their appointment alone: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we ask that patients come on time and come alone.
• Unless the patient is a minor, and one parent/guardian may need to be present, or if you are a patient who requires personal assistance coming in.
• Have instructions at the time of booking and signage on the entrance asking patients not to arrive early for appointments. This makes it easier to preserve physical distancing in the waiting area.

Organization of our Office

• We have removed all children’s toys/literature/magazines and unnecessary items from our clinic reception.
• Placed seating in reception that maintains at least 6 feet between seated patients.
• Put up posters reminding patients of social distancing procedure and government guidelines on how to limit the spread of COVID-19.
• Place non-contact trash cans in clearly visible areas in our reception, treatment rooms.
• Place alcoholic sanitizer in each room for patients to use. 

Physical Distancing

1. Reception:

• Practitioners and patients will maintain 2 meters/6 feet of distance in clinic areas other than the treatment room.
• At the end of treatment, we will accompany you to the exit and open the door for you (using a hand towel or other sanitized barrier).
• We have introduced a gradual re-entry to practice, to test that distancing measures put in place are sufficient, before increasing the number of patients/practitioners in the workplace at any one time. 

2. Shared Areas, Multi-Practitioner Setting, ie., kitchen, lockers, charting stations:

• We have separate, distanced workstations; and require therapists to use personal devices to access scheduling and accounting
• We do not use shared equipment including (but not limited to) computers, tables, and phones unless necessary.
• Implemented staggered arrival, departure, and break times to minimize the chances of incidental contact.
• We are avoiding socializing in person in the practice environment.

3. Treatment Room:

• It is not possible to maintain physical distancing in the treatment room during the treatment itself.
• Pre-screening, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and enhanced cleaning help reduce the risk of transmission and enable a return to practice while minimizing risk of harm.

Cleaning Procedure

1. Clean Before Opening:

• We will wash our hands for a minimum of 20 seconds.
• Upon arrival of the clinic, clean all high touch surfaces: door handles, switches, chairs, clinic surfaces, washroom keys, electronic equipment, etc
• Install clean sheets on the treatment table.

2. Clean Between Patients:

• Wash our hands for a minimum of 20 seconds and disinfect door handles, switches, chairs, clinic surfaces, electronic equipment, etc.
• Ventilate the treatment room for a few minutes if possible.
• Disinfect our visor or glasses if wearing them.
• Remove all bedding/sheets from the treatment table and place it in the dirty laundry basket.
• We have dedicated clean laundry / dirty laundry.
• Install clean sheets on the treatment table.
• Clean all high touch surfaces: door handles, switches, chairs, clinic surfaces, electronic equipment, etc.
• Clean the treatment table, the table adjustment levers, other equipment, etc.

 3. Frequently Clean:

• Frequently clean and disinfect common areas and high touch surfaces, e.g. light switches, cell phones, tablets, chairs, stools, table surfaces, bathroom keys.
• Handles: doors, cabinets, faucets, fridge, microwave, etc.
• Electronic devices and phones, armrests of chairs, desk and table surfaces, water coolers

Staff Safety/Prevention Measures

• Social distancing (2 meters) will be observed between staff members as much as possible.
• We have staggered staff lunches to maintain social distancing.
• We will wash our hands for a minimum of 20 seconds before entering common 
rooms and/or 20seconds before the appointment starts.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Masks should be worn by patients on arrival and by practitioners during treatment or whenever 6 feet of physical distancing cannot be maintained.
• N95 masks are not necessary.
• Cloth masks should be satisfactory and will be changed between.
• Cloth masks will be laundered after each use.
• Because of the close physical contact between practitioners and patients during treatment, a gown, apron, or lab coat is recommended to be worn and will be changed for each patient. Alternatively, practitioners may change their clothes between patients.
• Any other PPE used should be changed and/or disinfected between patients.

No Duty or Obligation to Return to practice

• A return to practice protocol does not require Practitioners to engage in practice if they individually assess the risk of practice as one they are not prepared to take.
• We also reserve the right to refuse treatment to anyone during this time if for any reason we feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
• The decision to return to practice is a matter of individual judgment and requires following the guidance of our regulatory bodies, Associations, WorkSafeBC, and governmental authorities.