When Fear Goes Viral - What to Say to a Frightened Patient

Q In your recent Atlanta Journal Constitution op-ed, you noted that fear of COVID-19 has deterred some patients from seeking care for urgent cardiovascular symptoms. As a practicing cardiologist and the president of SCAI, what do you say to patients who are reluctant to present for care?

A What we say depends on the patient and whether the care really could be delayed. If I feel strongly that the patient needs prompt care, I say, “Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death. You are far more likely to die from heart disease than you are to contract and die from COVID in the hospital.”

I stress safety: “We’ve been doing a great job of making the hospital safe. We have plenty of PPE in stock now. We also have rapid tests to diagnose COVID. We can know in a few hours whether a patient has the virus.

“Every patient who comes into the hospital puts on a mask. When we come in the hospital, every employee— housekeeping, food services, all the clinicians—is asked several questions about exposure and symptoms. We have our temperature checked every day and every one of us has to wear a mask."

And I can say with confidence that I don’t know of a single COVID case that was contracted at the hospital.”

Cindy L. Grines, MD, is the 2020-2021 president of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and chief scientific officer of the Northside Hospital Cardiovascular Institute in Georgia.