Independence Day is upon us once again. However, the world is a far different place than it was when last we celebrated our most popular summer holiday. Americans have not celebrated the Fourth of July during a pandemic since way back in 1918. Seeing as how it’s been over a century since we have needed to do this, and that none of us were even alive the last time it happened, it’s hard to know what we should (and should not) be doing. That’s why we figured it might be a good idea to offer our readers this blog with tips on how to (safely) celebrate Independence Day during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

The last few months have been quite a roller coaster ride, to say the least. And despite what some had hoped in recent weeks, it looks like the wild ride of COVID-19 is not going to be over any time soon. Not by a longshot. Over 21 states have already reported spikes in the number of infections, with the highest surges in California, Texas and Florida. In response, earlier this week Governor Greg Abbott of Texas issued an executive order to suspend elective surgeries in order to increase hospital bed capacity. Other states may soon have to do the same.

In an effort to provide healthcare professionals with a better understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted specialty practices, as well as help them identify ways to expedite recovery, Nextech recently published a Practice Insights Report. This report is a compilation of both survey responses from over 547 participants and analytics data from 1500 practices from multiple specialties, including ophthalmology, plastic surgery, dermatology and orthopedics. To give our readers an insightful picture of the current state of specialty practices, we have chosen to publish some of this report’s key findings in this blog.

If the first few months of 2020 taught healthcare professionals anything, it’s that they were not nearly as well prepared to handle unexpected crises as they probably thought they were. With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, a serious economic crisis, a global increase in civil unrest, extreme weather from climate change, murder hornets in the U.S. and now cannibal rats devouring each other in large cities (because that might as well happen too, right?), it seems unexpected risks are coming from new directions almost daily.

In a recent blog article, we took a close look at the future of telehealth in a post-COVID-19 world. While many would agree that telehealth is now here to stay and will continue to be an option expected by patients long after the pandemic has ended, the type of telehealth solutions providers choose to employ can have a serious impact on how patients respond. In the initial rush to provide patients with telehealth options, some providers implemented solutions that were riddled with security flaws, not to mention HIPAA noncompliant and unintegrated with their EHR and Practice Management.

Across the country, state lockdowns are beginning to be lifted and restrictions eased. Additionally, temporary holds on elective and non-emergent surgeries and procedures are expiring and many specialty practices are either reopening or planning to reopen soon. While everyone is eager to return to work in this new normal, it is important to recognize the fact that this initial reopening of the country may be short-lived. In fact, many experts are already warning that a second wave of COVID-19 will hit in the fall of 2020. Without a vaccine, there is a high likelihood that this will result in another period of lockdowns and restrictions.

In recent months, the use of telemedicine options has gone from being seen as a luxury to an indispensable necessity. With the nationwide (and global) spread of COVID-19, and the resulting social distancing measures and state-mandated lockdowns, many healthcare providers across the country found themselves scrambling to implement telemedicine so they could continue to deliver care while minimizing viral exposure. However, it is important to recognize that the need for telehealth will not end with the fall of COVID-19.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the majority of our country’s medical resources needed to be consolidated and redirected to treat the sudden flood of infected patients. In order to open up beds for overwhelmed facilities and minimize adding to the spread of infection, elective surgeries and procedures have been placed on hold for specialty practices for months. However, as certain states begin the process of reopening and lockdown restrictions are eased, many specialty practices will soon be resuming elective surgeries. In order to aid our readers in this effort, we are providing this blog to offer helpful tips on how to do so safely and responsibly.