Ohio orthopedic surgeon, other physicians advocate for returning to practice amid backlogs

Practice Management

As the Ohio Economic Recovery Task Force examines ways to reopen businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic, orthopedic surgeons are pushing for elective surgery and physical therapy to start up again, according to a Fox 28 report.

Ian Thompson, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and founder of Springfield (Ohio) Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Institute, said his practice was ready to open again when it's safe to proceed, although his group won't be able to move forward with surgery until patients can receive reliable physical therapy to achieve the best possible outcomes.

The task force is asking for guidance from physicians, who are considering enhanced sterilization protocols and treating every patient with extra caution without the widespread testing necessary to determine whether they have the coronavirus.

In the same article, a family medicine physician said his revenues were down 78 percent since the pandemic began, and a dentist reported a backlog of 500 procedures as well as 1,500 preventive check-ups to reschedule. As preventive treatment is delayed, patients' conditions are becoming worse, and treatment may become essential in the future.

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