Back to Practice - In-Session Protocols

Much of what you know about sanitation and disinfection will remain in place, but there are several new considerations, including taking a client’s temperature, and working with a mask and gloves.

Practitioner Preparedness

• Hygiene protocols remain standard and customary. The CDC recommends you take steps to ensure everyone adheres to respiratory hygiene, cough etiquette, and hand hygiene. Provide supplies for respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, including alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) with 60%–95% alcohol, tissues, and no-touch receptacles for trash disposal.
• Wear a mask throughout your entire interaction with the client, from the initial greeting, service, and until the client leaves your place of business. Avoid shaking hands with clients or hugging.
• Rather than utilizing your station, set up needed implements and supplies on a metal rolling cart or in a hard, plastic non-porous basket lined with a disposable patient bib that can be disinfected between each client.
• Product should be pre-dispensed into portion cups or use hands-free dispensers to avoid cross contamination; if product bottles must be handled, allow time to wipe down all product bottles with an EPA-approved disinfectant post-treatment. If using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifier, make sure it is on before your client arrives.

Client Arrival and Intake

• Assume Universal Precautions for all client care: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control-recommendations.html.
• Use a no-contact thermometer to take client’s temperature upon arrival; ask client to reschedule if their temperature is 100°F or higher. If client is not wearing a mask as requested during the reminder phone call, offer them a cloth mask at this time before continuing.
• Initiate doorway screening checklist questions:
  • Have you had a fever in the last 24 hours of 100°F or above?
  • Do you now, or have you recently had, any respiratory or flu symptoms, sore throat, or shortness of breath?
  • Have you been in contact with anyone in the last 14 days who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or has coronavirus-type symptoms?
• Before going to your station, ask clients to wash hands with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer (per CDC, at least 60% alcohol) and ensure that it’s applied liberally and properly. Give instruction on how to proceed with the service, including new direction on where to place  personal items.
• Provide clients with a hard plastic, non-porous basket where personal items can be placed. Avoid having clients put items in a closet or thrown on a chair, floor, or on another station that will later need to be cleaned.

During the Session

• During the service, check in on your clients who are wearing face coverings to ensure their comfort. If the mask needs to be removed for the purpose of the service, immediately after finishing the service, ask your client to reapply their mask.
• Consider using a face shield as an additional barrier from aspirations between you and your client. Before and after each client, wipe the mag light and/or face shield down (including the glass, stand, cord, or plastic shield) with an EPA-approved disinfectant.
• Immediately after finishing the service, apply a generous amount of hand sanitizer per CDC application guidelines (at least 60% alcohol).