Statement of COVID-19 Protocols
At Better Days Acupuncture we are committed to providing acupuncture treatments in a safe environment, following best practices as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM), during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 is extremely contagious and may be contracted from various sources. COVID-19 has a long incubation period during which carriers of the virus may not show symptoms and still be contagious. Given the current limitations of COVID-19 virus testing, determining who is infected is exceptionally difficult.
The practice of acupuncture requires close personal contact between patient and practitioner. The following procedures have been instituted with our practice to acknowledge the risks associated with such contact during these times.
Your practitioner is happy to answer any questions you may have about these procedures.
Patient Procedures
- Call or text your practitioner when you arrive at the office. Your practitioner will meet you at the entrance to minimize the number of people touching the doorknob and to eliminate time in the waiting area.
- Unless medically necessary, please arrive at the clinic alone. If you are accompanied by someone to your appointment, please have them wait in a safe place such as your vehicle.
- Wear a cloth mask, or a mask of your choice, at all times in the clinic.
- Perform hand hygiene with hand sanitizer upon arrival to the clinic.
- Prior to each treatment, you will be asked to sign a “COVID-19 Informed Consent to Treat” form. Please bring your own pen.
- The “COVID-19 Informed Consent to Treat” form includes self-reporting of symptoms associated with COVID-19.
- Your practitioner will take two vital signs prior to each treatment:
- Temperature will be taken with a calibrated contactless thermometer. Fever of 100.4 or higher will result in immediate referral to a biomedical healthcare provider.
- Blood oxygen saturation will be measured with a pulse oximeter. Blood oxygen levels of under 95 will result in immediate referral to a biomedical healthcare provider.
- Your practitioner may recommend telehealth options for some aspects of treatment, such as intake and lifestyle coaching, in order to minimize time spent in the clinic.
- When possible, payment information will be stored in Square to streamline the checkout process.
Practitioner Procedures
- Practitioners will take their own vital signs (fever and blood oxygen saturation level) at the start of each shift, following the same protocols as for patients.
- Hand hygiene will be performed regularly, in accordance with CCAOM guidelines.
- Appointments will be scheduled with 30 minutes between patients to allow for cleaning and disinfecting between patients, and to minimize the number of people in the clinic.
- Practitioners will clean and disinfect all high-touch surfaces with EPA-approved disinfectant after each treatment.
- Practitioners will wear a mask appropriate for Health Care Providers (KN95 or surgical mask) at all times in the clinic. Gloves will be worn when cleaning, disinfecting, and handling laundry, and may be worn during treatment.
- Practitioners will wear scrubs in the clinic in order to facilitate the laundering of clinic apparel after each shift.
- Clean linens will be stored in a closed cabinet outside of the treatment room. Used linens will be transported for laundering in a sealed container and laundered according to CDC guidelines.
- Medical-grade pillows will be used and disinfected after each treatment.
- When possible, windows will be open in the clinic to increase air flow.
- Tissues and touchless waste disposal will be available for sneeze and cough etiquette.
The COVID-19 pandemic is an evolving situation, and these protocols will be regularly reviewed and updated as needed.
Last updated 6/18/20