COVID-19 resources
COVID-19 resources
TAFP is collecting and developing COVID-19 resources to help address your needs during the pandemic.
Governmental resources
The Texas Department of State Health Services COVID-19 resource page for health professionals includes criteria to guide testing for persons under investigation, a health care professional preparedness checklist, and information about personal protective equipment.
Texas Local Public Health Organizations – Access a list of Local Health Departments, Public Health Districts and Local Health Units in Texas, complete with contact information.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established a site to house information about the virus as it is discovered.
Association resources
The American Academy of Family Physicians has published a collection of resources intended for family physicians that come mostly from the CDC including clinical criteria for identifying COVID-19, patient education materials, information on community preparation for the potential spread of the virus, and more.
AAFP Financial Relief for Family Physicians
The Texas Medical Association, has published a webpage for news and resources especially for physicians in Texas, which includes information on how to collect, handle, and test clinical specimens from persons under investigation of having COVID-19, how to evaluate and report patients who are under investigation for being infected or who have been confirmed to have the virus by a laboratory, what health care personnel should know about caring for those patients, and much more.
AAFP COVID-19 Rapid Response Member Exchange
Join this AAFP member exchange to engage in conversations with family physicians across the country.
Telemedicine resources
Telemedicine information from TMA
Want to know more about using telemedicine in the midst of this pandemic? Our friends at TMA are updating this page with the latest information on Medicare and Medicaid rules, plus a chart of payment policies announced by major insurers.
Financial relief and practice viability
Webinar: 120-day financial plan for business continuity during COVID-19
Practice viability resources from TMA
Financial relief information from AAFP
Patient education
UT Health handout: Social Distancing, Monitoring, Quarantine or Isolation
UT Health handout: Do I Need to See a Healthcare Provider?
Palliative care resources for COVID-19
VitalTalk: COVID Ready Communication Playbook
VitalTalk is a group of communication specialists who collaborate to offer a communication guide for complex issues that can be shared with office staff, especially phone staff and nursing teams.
CAPC COVID-19 Symptom Management Protocols
The Center to Advance Palliative Care provides a wide COVID-19 resources. The one Dr. Tatum discusses most is the Symptom Management Protocols.
NHPCO COVID-19 Shared Decision-Making Tool
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization offers this tool to help physicians, patients, and their families discuss risk for seriously ill patients including conversations about advance directives.
CPPCD ICU Shared Decision-Making Guide for Life Support
The Colorado Program for Patient-Centered Decisions offers a decision aid for patients considering life support in the setting of critical resource shortages.
PREPARE for Your Care Medical Planning Guide
Among other resources, PREPARE for Your Care provides a COVID-19 advance care planning guide your office team can share with patients who can then complete the guide on their own.
Advance Care Planning Conversation Guide
The San Francisco VA health Care System Hospice and Palliative Care Service offers this guide for use with outpatients at high risk of developing COVID-19 complications.
News
Houston family practice encounters COVID-19
Lessons learned: A conversation with Clive Fields, MD, of VillageMD