Ouch, I just got hurt! How do I safely get treated amidst the COVID-19 outbreak?

Getting hurt is never fun, but now with fears about the COVID-19 pandemic (read “Visitor Advisory“), many patients are left wondering how to safely seek treatment for their orthopedic injury or condition, without increasing their risk of contracting the virus.

Badia Hand to Shoulder Center remains open to care for your upper extremity orthopedic needs (fingers, hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder), and has made some changes in how that care is provided, to keep you safe. In addition to stringent cleaning policies, which we have always enforced, here is how we are caring for your orthopedic needs during this time:

• For urgent orthopedic conditions (more on this below), we will schedule an in-office visit, where we will examine your injury, perform any necessary diagnostic tests, and discuss the best treatment options with you.
• All patients will be screened to ensure the risk of bringing in a transmittable illness is minimized.
• No visitors will be allowed with the patient (except if the patient is a minor, in which case one parent/guardian must attend the visit).
• We are limiting the number of patients allowed in the office at any given time, to allow for social distancing.
• For non-urgent orthopedic conditions, we will schedule a telemedicine visit, where you will interact with us via your computer or telephone screen. We will be able to examine your injury or condition remotely, check your range of motion, and discuss the best treatment options with you.

Don’t worry if you don’t know whether or not your condition is urgent. When you call our office to schedule an appointment, we will help determine whether your visit is best suited for an in-office visit or a telemedicine visit.

Dr. Badia is advising those with suspected fractures or ligament injuries, strains, sprains, and pulled muscles, to circumvent hospitals entirely and contact single-specialty orthopedic centers like Badia Hand to Shoulder Center, to avoid unnecessary exposure to transmittable disease, such as COVID-19.

The orthopedic specialist is able to make a diagnosis of a musculoskeletal problem much more quickly than an emergency or general physician, with superior resolution of the clinical problem and at much lower cost, using less testing and fewer imaging studies”, Dr. Badia states.