Good Clinic Practices Post Covid World

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Flow Chart of Foot Traffic In Medical Clinic

Sometimes alternative forms of graphics communicate better than Photos


Safe Clinic Practices that just make Sense.. Coronavirus has altered the way we do things. Clinical Providers have had to adapt to be more virally competent. Here are some common good practices for Clinics, that just make sense:

10) Good Indoor Design Layout

The layout of your clinic will dictate the flow of traffic through the building. A bad layout will have crowded corridors and cramped waiting rooms. Close proximity with others is forced, and efforts at mitigating the spread of seasonal flus or coronavirus will be much more difficult. A good layout will have clearly distinct areas for Screening & Check In, Waiting, 

No Photo

I hoped to get at least one photo taken for this assignment. However in practice. Getting permission to photograph medical clinics, especially when those clinics are owned by hawk companies, have a very convoluted maze of approval. And getting something as simple as a consensual photo of a Patient Screener is extremely complicated. 

9)  Have a protected screening area for patient check-in.

Indoors, Outdoor Background - Security Guard Stops Unmasked Patron from Entering

The Lighting Aperture could have been lower in this photo to prevent the blinding lightness in the background outdoors, but all the details of the street would be too much and distract focus from the central content of the photo.

8)  Masks Required of Guests, Patients, and Staff. 

Outdoors- Cop and Kid Stage Photo

This is such a corny and lame staged stock photo. I almost wish the focus was adjusted to see that really cool spread of native weeds better.  


7)  Hire Medical Security Personnel to deal with unruly patrons.  

Space Unknown - Person with Hand Extended on Phone

A picture says a thousand words, but the Depth of Field in this photo between the outstretched hand and the person on the landline phone capture the one word command ‘Stop!’.

6)  Appointment Required

Indoors - House Cleaner with Lab Grade/Forensics Scrubs

I’m not sure if there is a photographical element I can point to about this that makes it interesting. But seeing someone engage in housekeeping work with that level of biohazardous protection makes a powerful statement about the dangers of essential work in a viral pandemic.


5)  Disinfect Surfaces between Visits + Keep High Air Flow

Indoors - Four People Very Close Together in Shiny Dance Clothes

It’s fun to look at this picture because of how decorated the unfaced people are dressed. The high ISO setting helps with this. Especially with the Disco Pants Suit and the Chrome Dress.  

4)  Spread out Seating and Encourage Social Distancing

Indoors - Lady with Virtual Reality Goggles

For me, the backlight light in this picture is very mysterious and I can’t figure what it is. It’s as if it’s a simulation within a simulation..


3)  Offer Virtual Appointments

Always ask: Does this need to be an in-person meeting? Does this communication have to be a video call? Can this be figured out over email? Sometimes in-person appointments are necessary, especially when there are health check-ups, tests, or physical procedures involved. But when can  “I hated this visit, and want to switch my Primary Care Provider after this. I drove an hour into town, had to wait in a disgusting waiting room with my children huddled up on me during the peak of the pandemic for twenty minutes. When we were seen, it was a short appointment with no discernable medical tests on my child besides talking. We were able to get an antibiotic script for my child’s stomach infection. Because of delays with the office calling in the Pharmacy order, we spent 2 unnecessary hours waiting in biohazardous conditions to get the medication we needed. That could have been a ten-minute call and a drive-by pick-up.” -Anonymous  Mother

Outdoors - Large Family

Outdoors midday, there isn’t much need for extra lighting. Something I am curious about is the difference in lighting needs with darker melanated skin. This comes up as a professional competency issue with tattoo artistry, medical care, and other fields. I like how the balance of lighting, likely with a smaller aperture, was able to catch all the detail and expression in everyone’s faces. 

2)  Prioritize Needs of Families with Small Children

“I really appreciate clinics who are still having you/allowing the option to wait in the parking lot. Especially with little kids.” I have always hated the toy/book area of kid waiting rooms. I know it's well intentioned, but unless your clinic staff has time to 👏 regularly 👏 disinfect 👏 and think about things like a preschool (no soft toys unless you intend to wash them) then it's just like a big old petri dish and (little) kids can't help sticking things/ their hands in the mouths and noses. At the Children’s Hospital by Biltmore. There are family waiting room. They are insulated off, and have fun toys and games. There is a glass pane. In conditions of high-conflict custody cases, interactions can be watched through the window. In between every family, the entire room is disinfected and toys and surfaces are sanitized.  Imagine having to wait indoors with several other families with kids

Patient Staff Medical Conversation - Indoors

While it is really subtle, focusing the lens on the patient centered in the photo communicates patient-centered care unconsciously.  1. ## Talk to your patients  I also loved that, in a recent visit a PT took the time to ask me how I am dealing mentally with covid, what are my preferences and comfort levels interacting with others. I felt really seen as someone who regularly takes an immuno-suppressant.” -Caire Meador Hi, I am working on a school assignment and am looking for some help. My topic is Best Safety Practices for Medical Clinics post-Covid. What safety practices have you seen be implemented where you work, or elsewhere, in the past two years, that just make sense? You can reply or message me privately. Also looking for places local that would let me take some generic pictures of these practices in action. I have photo release forms and will blur faces out. I really appreciate clinics who are still having you/allowing the option to wait in the parking lot. Especially with little kids. I have always hated the toy/book area of kid waiting rooms. I know it's well intentioned, but unless your clinic staff has time to !👏 regularly !👏 disinfect !👏 and think about things like a preschool (no soft toys unless you intend to wash them) then it's just like a big old petri dish and (little) kids can't help sticking things/ their hands in the mouths and noses. I also loved that, in a recent visit a PT took the time to ask me how I am dealing mentally with covid, what are my preferences and comfort levels interacting with others. I felt really seen as someone who regularly takes an immuno-suppressant. My orthodontist has a check in computer at the door with hand sanitizer next to it. Also the arrangement of waiting room chairs for distancing is nice. **