A dramatic drop in patient volume has been experienced by many physicians in small healthcare settings nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. When announcing the lockdown, the government ordered all outpatient settings and small healthcare facilities to close. Most of the small hospitals and clinics closed down their businesses as they could not meet the requirement for operating safely in a pandemic situation, or were not stable financially. According to a study, only 31% of patients felt comfortable visiting their doctors’ clinics.
Although patients increasingly embraced telehealth, 41% of patients faced delayed healthcare services, and 38% intend to delay future care, treatment, and procedures. Many patients are avoiding visits because they do not want to leave their homes and expose themselves to the risk of infection. Besides, the evolving state and central recommendations for…
