According to a study by the University of Wisconsin, nearly half of primary physicians today devote under 15 minutes to each patient visit, which the typical patient has about 1.6 times a year. With large doctor’s offices and clinics having to attend to hundreds of patients, getting to know your individual health needs is quite often a challenge of not having enough time to spend with you one-on-one with your doctor.
That’s where concierge medicine comes in. There are several benefits to concierge medicine (also called direct primary care) that you may not be able to find with a primary care physician in your insurance network.
Since a concierge doctor doesn’t see as many patients, they can spend more time with each person. That means they ultimately get to know you better. Your doctor also gains a better understanding of your medical history, which could make it easier for them to detect issues.
“Concierge medicine is an experience as much as it’s care — you have a much more personalized encounter with your concierge doctor,” says Charles Dinerstein, a vascular surgeon and senior medical fellow at the consumer advocacy organization the American Council on Science and Health.
Concierge doctors offer personalized care and direct access. They’re often physicians who choose to have a smaller number of patients compared to the volume of a more traditional office practice. This also means a lot less headache and paperwork that is often associated with insurance payouts (not to mention the hassle that comes if your insurance decides to deny a certain test or procedure).
Concierge doctors offer their services to patients directly in exchange for an upfront fee, usually paid monthly. Concierge medicine used to be common only among wealthy patients who could afford the fees, but in recent years, concierge medicine has become more affordable. Stay in touch with us as we announce more in the coming weeks about our concierge medicine services!