The coronavirus or COVID-19 changed multiple aspects of personal and professional lives. With the vaccination of more American workers, some employers question how to appropriately respond to someone asking about their team’s vaccination status, especially in a dental setting. Whether they ask about it over the phone before their appointment or during their visit, you should consider some critical factors before providing an answer. Therefore, our dental practice coaches at Bryant Consultants shares details about how to address your team’s vax status so that you can help your patients feel comfortable without violating your team members’ confidentiality.
Employee Health Information
Even though your patients may feel they need to know your staff’s vax status, remember that every employee’s personal health information (PHI) has the same protection as your patients’. Therefore, it’s best to avoid sharing information that could expose a team member’s inability or unwillingness to accept the vaccine. Our dental practice coaches advise clients to inform patients that you encourage or require your team to get vaccinated when it becomes available to them. Additionally, you can tell your patients that your practice follows CDC and state protocols to prevent viral spreading. Finally, it’s crucial to avoid specifics when speaking to patients about who on your team may or may not have the vaccination or reasons why some may not be able or willing to get the vaccine.
An additional protective step is to avoid acquiring documentation that releases your employee’s health protections, which could allow you to share PHI about employees. The information may include the team member’s vaccination status and potentially cause unnecessary problems within your practice. Additionally, refrain from publicly declaring your team’s vax status, even if every team member feels comfortable, and provides written permission to do so.
Our small business experts at Bryant Consultants share additional reasons why employees should not relinquish their vaccine status to patients below.
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Setting a Strange Precedent
Your lawful duty to employees is to keep PHI private, and sharing any employee’s Covid vaccination status is a direct violation. It is your obligation, and the employee’s expected right, to keep PHI strictly confidential and disclosed on a need-to-know basis only. Our dental office consultants explain that disclosure of the Covid vaccine is equal to the flu vaccine and should receive the same confidential treatment. You may have an employee who’s uncomfortable sharing their PHI and chose to keep some details private, with the Covid vaccine exception. Remember, even though your employee signs paperwork as a part of their employment, they could later claim they felt coerced or obligated to divulge their PHI and didn’t do so voluntarily. Therefore, your team’s vax status and other PHI should remain fully protected and undisclosed.
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Potential Misrepresentation of Infection Risk
Sharing the team’s vax status could give patients peace of mind and illustrate your practice’s safety commitment. In addition, patients who arrive at their appointment that refuse to wear a mask or social distance could be under a false assumption that your practice is “virus-free” with vaccinated workers. However, health experts continue to express that some vaccinated humans may be able to spread Covid. Therefore, our dental practice coaches advise practices to follow OSHA and CDC guidelines for cleanliness to minimize viral spread among patients and staff. Also, refrain from promoting your team’s vax status to reduce misinformation to consumers.
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Discrimination May Ensue
Internal discrimination is hazardous to a dental team and productivity. Pointing out those who are or are not vaccinated could cause animosity among the team. Those who cannot get vaccinated because of a religious reason or health-related risk could feel targeted. Our dental practice consultants explain that the discrimination could lead to different treatment or cause others to avoid working with the employee, resulting in various issues. Therefore, it is best to keep PHI private but refrain from limiting your employees’ rights to speak about it with others.
Publicly sharing employee vaccination status’ may seem like an excellent way to stress your commitment to patient safety. However, it may cause unexpected adverse reactions from employees, patients, or the community. Therefore, focus marketing directives on patient treatment processes, a safe environment, and what your team does to reduce virus and bacterial transmission.
If you would like to learn more or schedule a complimentary one-hour consultation, please contact Bryant Consultants by calling (877) 768-4799. We provide consultation, training, and coaching virtually or in person. To ensure that you receive the latest updates, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
