---
title: "Psych News Alert: Tips on Reopening Psychiatric Practices During Pandemic"
description: As psychiatrists begin to reopen their offices during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many questions about how to do so safely. In the lat...
---

[Psych News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org)

# [Psych News Alert: Tips on Reopening Psychiatric Practices During Pandemic](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/09/tips-on-reopening-psychiatric-practices.html)

 Written by [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) | 9/21/20 4:00 AM

As psychiatrists begin to reopen their offices during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many questions about how to do so safely. In the latest issue of *Psychiatric News*, risk management consultant Anne Huben-Kearney, R.N., B.S.N., M.P.A., offers some [advice](https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2020.9a4). 

“Take into consideration your health and that of your patients and whether to continue with telepsychiatry, reopen your practice to see patients in person, or have a hybrid practice,” Huben-Kearney wrote. “Safety for your patients and for yourself is paramount, now more than ever.”

For psychiatrists who are preparing to resume seeing patients in person, Huben-Kearney suggested the following:

- Continue to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on social distancing, masks, and hand hygiene as well as state and local restrictions. 
- Ensure adequate masks and hand sanitizer for office staff and patients. Demonstrate use of both, including using the hand sanitizer when your patient enters the session room. 
- Reorganize your office to allow for physical distancing. Try to avoid more than one patient in the office at a time, and allow enough time between patients to wipe down surfaces.
- Outdoor sessions may be an option with written patient consent, but you need to be able to ensure auditory and visual confidentiality. 

Huben-Kearney also offered some guidance for psychiatrists who want to continue telepsychiatry sessions with patients, including those who live out of state:

- Keep track of when and to what degree the state governors rescind executive orders, especially regarding licensure across state lines. 
- Monitor when the Drug Enforcement Administration resumes compliance with the Ryan Haight Act, which requires health care professionals to conduct an initial, in-person examination of a patient before electronically prescribing a controlled substance.
- Initiate an application for permanent licensure in the states where your patients are located. Psychiatrists should be sure to check the status of their state’s COVID-19 guidelines (APA has compiled state-issued guidance [here](https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/covid-19-coronavirus/practice-guidance-for-covid-19)). They should also check the [Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC)](https://www.imlcc.org/), which allows states to work together to streamline the multi-state licensing process.
- Ensure that you have a HIPAA-compliant platform with a Business Associate Agreement to ensure your protection in case of a data breach. 

Finally, continue “to ensure patient screening, both for in-person and telepsychiatry sessions,” Huben-Kearney concluded. “Ensure compliance with the standard of care, which is the same whether care is provided in person or via telemedicine.”

To read more on this topic, see the *Psychiatric News* article “[Reopening Your Practice During Pandemic](https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2020.7b20).” 

(Image: iStock/miodrag ignjatovic)

[View full post](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/09/tips-on-reopening-psychiatric-practices.html)

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