Concierge Medicine
The word concierge is reminiscent of a level of service experienced at only the finest hotels — a helping hand to book impossible dinner reservations, call a car service, or arrange a day at the spa. Imagine if health care could function in the same precise, luxurious manner. How comforting would it be to have a personal physician who is always available and never more than a simple phone call or text message away?
This is the essence of concierge medicine; primary care without the hassle.
The presence of such practices has risen dramatically in recent years — and for good reason. They’re effective. Patients are happier and they stay healthier.
What is Concierge Medicine?
Concierge medicine is a membership-based model for primary care that enables physicians to see fewer patients. This results in a more flexible, trusting relationship between patient and physician, often with around-the-clock access, same-day appointments, and optional home or office visits.
It’s a more
personal relationship where your physician takes an active role in your
health, with frequent check-ins, deeper knowledge of your lifestyle, and
an overall better continuity of care focused on your long-term health.
The Issues With Traditional Primary Care
The current system is broken. It doesn’t work for people, because it wasn’t designed for people — it was designed for, and by, insurance companies. The lack of focus on the human side of healthcare causes numerous issues.
- Doctors rush from one patient to the next, spending as little as 10 minutes with a patient
- Appointments take weeks or months to schedule, so seeing your doctor regularly is a struggle
- You can never actually speak with your doctor between visits, let alone make contact after hours
- It can take weeks to turn around diagnostic test results
- You often don’t even see the same doctor, and when you do, you’re lucky if they remember you!
The Concierge Medicine Difference
What are concierge practices doing differently?
In general, practice sizes are small, allowing for improved relationships between patients and their doctor. Access is more convenient (most patients have the doctor’s private cell phone number) and same or next-day appointments are almost always available.
Most charge an annual or monthly membership fee that is paid directly to the practice in exchange for services. Rarely, is health insurance accepted.
With that said, it’s important to understand that no two practices are the same in terms of what they charge, what is offered, and how they function.
The Benefits of Concierge Medicine
Longer, more engaged visits with your physician
Same or next-day appointments
A more collaborative, trusting relationship
Quicker turnaround on tests and feedback from physicians
Better continuity of care focused on your long-term health
Learn more about the benefits of choosing Devine Concierge Medicine for your primary care needs.
Navigating Your Options
Whether they call themselves Concierge Medicine, Direct Primary Care (DPC), Membership Medicine, etc., it’s important to look at what each practice is offering to determine if they’ll be able to meet your personal wants and needs.
While some practices charge very little, it’s usually for a good reason. Membership fees are often directly related to a doctor’s pedigree, expertise, and accessibility to you as a client. As with most things, you get what you pay for.
For those interested in the very finest, Devine Concierge Medicine has been recognised as the premier primary care practice in the Philadelphia suburbs.