As Concierge Medicine finally claims its well-deserved breakthrough over the past year, it helps to be informed about the long-term benefits it offers not only to patients but to physicians as well in terms of how they extend care.
Many myths surround this new and improved health care model, and it is time to lay down the real score behind these myths. Concierge Medicine can do wonders for a physician’s career in many ways, and it puts patient treatment and medical care back into the hands of those who know best: the physician.
Finally, a health care model gives patients greater access to convenient, individualized care that focuses on their well-being and quality of life.
Although Concierge Medicine was previously associated with luxury care, the COVID-19 pandemic has helped pave the way for more and more patients to access a more affordable, personalized form of Concierge Medicine.
It comes as no surprise that Concierge Medicine has grown to a thousand practices as of 2020, serving at least 300,000 patients in over 48 states in America.
Suppose you have grown tired of the complex system that is America’s traditional, insurance-based health care. In that case, Concierge Medicine can help you reconnect with your patients and create a more fulfilling, financially stable medical practice for the long term.
Here are four major myths you should keep in mind if you are interested in switching to a Concierge Medicine practice.
1. MYTH: I will have a limited patient base because only the rich can afford a Concierge Medicine subscription.
Fact: The more recent iterations of Concierge Medicine now come at more affordable price points and can cater to a wider range of patients. Gone are the days when Concierge care is exclusive to VIPS or the ultra-rich. At this point, there is sure to be a Concierge Medicine practice that fits every kind of budget.
Concierge Medicine has been increasingly accessible to patients within the past year alone with its flexible payment terms, discounted services, and telemedicine features.
Moreover, the professional freedom merited by physicians from a Concierge Medicine practice allows them to build their patient base on their terms. Reminiscent of American health care in the 50s, it is not uncommon for a Concierge doctor to see all family members regardless of age or even a group of employees within a workplace.
2. MYTH: I am better off with a Direct Primary Care practice.
Fact: Although Direct Primary Care and Concierge Medicine are indeed both membership-based models, several factors differentiate the former from the latter, including (but not limited to) price points, payment terms, and insurance participation.
While Direct Primary Care is often associated with affordability and Concierge Medicine is associated with expensive premium care, many membership-based models are now referred to as hybrids.
In the simplest sense, hybrid membership-based models are a mix of both Direct Primary Care and Concierge Medicine. This allows physicians to create a practice that benefits their patients best.
Except for a basic list of services any membership-based health care model should have (which is mandated by DPC Nation), there are no hard-set rules to creating your own Concierge Medicine or Direct Primary Care practice.
3. MYTH: I will work less as a Concierge doctor.
Fact: Although Concierge doctors indeed have a smaller panel of patients than traditional, insurance-based physicians, it does not necessitate that they work less.
The Concierge medicine system is designed to give doctors the freedom to extend quality care to every patient. In contrast to traditional community practice, Concierge doctors are no longer trapped by insurance claims, vested interests, and overbooked appointments.
A large percentage of the face-to-face time is devoted to actual care. My waiting room is usually empty, and my average wait time is still under 10 minutes. The obvious advantage to this is better care. There is more time to think about things, to listen to patients, and to educate them.- Dr Rob Lamberts, MD.
Medical work in this new and improved health care model now involves time, a crucial prerequisite in getting to know patients and making them feel that you are there for them.
4. MYTH: My patients having 24/7 access to my services seems a bit extreme, and I fear this will make me even more burnt out than I already am in traditional family practice.
Fact: It is true, unrestricted access can seem rather taxing. The whole idea behind your patients having access to your direct line anytime is that consultations are evenly spaced in between.
Appointments are no longer jampacked into rushed, robotic appointments. A Concierge doctor’s day-to-day commitments vary from quick phone consultations, at-home acute care visits to routine screenings held at the clinic.
Significant physician experiences also reveal a ton of insight into how patients respond to unrestricted physician access.
Taking calls has never been easier. First, with fewer patients [in practice], calls decrease proportion to the number of patients. Second, the very patients who respect and value me enough to subscribe to me demonstrate discretion in calling after hours.” - Dr John Kihm, MD, a Concierge internal medicine physician, shares how his daily schedule usually unfolds.
You will be surprised how much mutual respect goes around when ample time and energy is invested in a doctor-patient relationship. Dr John Kimm adds, Mutual respect is the norm in Concierge Medicine. Inappropriate calls come few and far between, so 24/7 calls are not hard.
Do you want to start and thrive at your own Concierge Medicine Practice? Then, list your practice for free and maximize your online reach, transforming health care shoppers into patients.
Previous Post
