I have an appointment for a routine annual physical in about three weeks, and I’m wondering if it would make more sense to postpone it. Note: I am older and have various chronic conditions, including those that put me at high risk if I get corvid19, but have no new or worsening problems that I want or need to ask my doctor about.
There’s two aspects that have me considering this:
First, if the horrid predictions we’re hearing come true, doctors are going to need all their time to deal with genuinely sick people. Why ‘waste’ their time on a routine physical?
Second, given that I am in the high risk group, does it make sense to deliberately expose myself to a location that is bound to have people present who are infected? Yes, I’m sure they’ll be disinfecting and handing out masks and whatall, but the practice waiting room seats at least 40 people, and I have frequently seen it full while there in the past.
Three weeks? Yeah, I’d do it. We should still have a functioning health system next month. I don’t have a physical scheduled, but I’m going to try to get one in early April, once my wife can walk again. (She’s having some major ankle reconstruction surgery next week.)
I figure now’s the time to get medical care that’s not life-and-death. Don’t wait until May.
My doctor’s appointment has let the patients know (via the on-line portal) that if they have cold or flu-like symptoms to call the office for instructions and NOT to go there in person.
I don’t know what doctor’s office will be flooded with folks due to the virus, as it seems to me the hospital are the ones who are going to be busy. Not regular doctor’s offices.
I had a 3-month checkup today at my doctor’s office, at one of the Cleveland Clinic satellite campuses. All I really needed was a blood pressure check. Apparently my doctor got called away and put on some sort of important Team of Professionals to deal with the virus.
There was one CNP in his office, one Medical Assistant, and one receptionist. The receptionist called me 4 times before my appointment (I didn’t get the call, I was in an exercise class) to tell me that I could do a video appointment with my doc, or re-schedule. When she finally got me, I told her I just needed my BP checked and offered to go to a local Cleveland Clinic Urgent Care. She asked the doctor what he wanted for me to do, he said to come in and have my BP checked by the Medical Assistant. I went in - all of the entrances to the hospital, but one, were closed. The place was pretty much deserted. I got my BP checked, the MA was actually talking to the doctor in real time via text. He was happy with my BP. They made my next appointment (in June) and I left.
The receptionist had COPIOUS amounts of hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes and Lysol spray on her desk. She spent the entire time I was there calling patients to reschedule or re-arrange. And yeah, there were posters all around telling people to get a mask if they had any cold symptoms (which I think is typical during any flu season), and other posters specifically about COVID-19.
Anyway my long dumb story leads to the same answer everyone else said - ask your doctor. Or even better, wait and let them call you. They’ll either be in a rush to get everyone re-scheduled, or it’ll be business as usual and you show up. Don’t make things more complicated for them by rescheduling now.
I agree. A lot can happen in three weeks. The virus could get a lot more widespread, or it could be contained. Hell, a lot can happen to you in three weeks, and if you start to feel sick and the doctor’s office gets busy, you might wind up very grateful that you had an appointment on the calendar so far in advance.
Just had a birthday so I am due for my annual check up. Not that its a guarantee that I don’t have any current, pressing health issues, but I feel fine. I am not getting anywhere close to a hospital or doctor’s office until this virus blows over. Those places are ground zero virus areas, whether its COVID 19 or the Common Flu. The whole people not showing symptoms, yet are contagious idea, freaks me out. I’ll wait another year.
I have several post-concussion cognitive therapy appointments scheduled over the next 3 weeks. I plan to attend as normal unless the facility cancels on me (it’s a specialized rehab facility, not a hospital per se). I plan to bike rather than taking 2 buses and a train, though.
Call your doctor and say “I’ll keep my appointment if you’re not overwhelmed, but otherwise feel free to cancel me.” If they say they’re fine, call again two days before the appointment and restate the offer.
My guess is that they’ll take you up on it the second time. Three weeks time is exactly when things are likely to be really crazy
I’d keep the appointment as scheduled. If you push it off, they might be even busier. If you’re really concerned, call them up the day before (or even when you get there, if it’s crowded) and explain that since it’s just a well visit, you’d be happy to push it back a month or two if they need the resources.
OTOH, it’s just a well visit, it’s going to take 15 or 20 minutes, get in, get out and be done with it.
Honestly, I would expect that it’ll seem like business as usual when you get there. Probably won’t appear any different than any other time.
SbS I’d call your doctor’s office and ask to reschedule. If you have no serious issues to discuss with them, and you are at risk of serious complications with COVID-19, you’re better keeping to home as much as possible. A routine physical doesn’t pass the safety bar, IMO.
I’m the same status as the OP, and have the same concerns. I’ve canceled all my (non-urgent) doctors’ appointments for the near future, for the same reasons. In fact, I’m not going anywhere I really don’t have to.
Just got an email from my dentist’s office canceling my cleaning next week. Just posting this as a data point that if a routine visit is a health concern, your health care provider will cancel it. Or at least, mine did.
Anecdotal, but a physician I know recently posted that he’s pushing his practice to cancel health maintenance appointments. He said his schedule has been 90% well baby checks, sports physical and school physicals. The schools are closed and sports have been suspended, so there’s no need to put doctors, their patients and the staff at risk for routine visits.
Americans don’t seem to be grasping how important it is that we flatten this curve. The best thing everyone can do right now is stay home as much as possible.
San Francisco area instituted the most draconian lockdown that I’ve heard of so far. Not only do I think that model will spread but I’m not sure it goes far enough. Every bit of non-contact you have lessens your chance of getting it. Call now & reschedule for a few months out.
In addition, three people I know of have had their dentists postpone checkup appointments, and my eye doctor’s office sent out emails to their entire practice to say that only patients scheduled for follow up appointments after recent surgeries would be seen or real emergencies.
So I’ll cancel the appointment today. It just doesn’t make sense to risk getting something potentially deadly when I seem to be trundling along normally-for-me.
I just checked with my dermatologist’s office about my yearly skin cancer check tomorrow. I said I was 62 with chronic bronchitis. They said it was entirely up to me. But when I said I was actually looking for a medical recommendation, they said doctors were typically cancelling visits like this, so I cancelled.
I bet the trend will be more and more in this direction in the next couple months.