Since we believe health is your #1 asset in life, money spent on your health is one of the single most important things you can invest in. Setting aside a small amount of money each month to have the luxury of being part of a private, membership-based medical practice, also known as concierge medicine, where a doctor sees you for your preventative physicals as well as being there for you at times of illness is the wisest way to spend your hard-earned income. A better doctor-patient relationship can help you embrace a proactive approach to healthcare, as you will have a doctor who knows your health background and medical history and is only a call away.
For this reason, many Americans are choosing concierge medicine over the traditional primary physician. So, what makes concierge medicine better than visiting a nearby hospital for medical checkups or when ill? Below are some benefits of choosing concierge medicine over the traditional primary physician.
Improved Relationship With Your Doctor
Unlike a traditional primary physician, who has to see numerous patients each day to earn enough money, concierge doctors have a smaller patient panel because they don’t only rely on health insurance reimbursements.
Since concierge doctors charge a membership fee to complement insurance reimbursements, they don’t need to see dozens of patients to stay in business. Also, due to the patient membership fee requirement, concierge doctors have a lower patient panel than primary care physicians.
With a reduced patient panel, concierge doctors can have a closer relationship with all their patients, allowing easier sharing of information that could be vital in providing better care.
More Time for Each Appointment
As mentioned above, concierge doctors see fewer patients daily than traditional primary care physicians, thanks to the membership fee. Since both doctors work for similar hours, concierge doctors will spend more time with each patient.
If you do the math, a traditional primary care physician who sees 30 patients within a shift of 8 hours can only spend 16 minutes with each patient. On the other hand, a concierge doctor who sees 10 patients within the same number of hours will have 48 minutes for each patient, enough for the day’s treatment or tests and a little chitchat.
Also, since your concierge doctor is not in a rush to serve more patients, they can stretch your appointment time if you have a serious issue.
Better Response to Emergencies
Due to the high number of patients who require a traditional primary physician’s service, these doctors may not have time for emergency appointments. Therefore, if you rely on a traditional primary physician’s services, you must wait until the appointment date because they are always fully booked.
On the other hand, a concierge doctor can easily schedule an emergency appointment, as they have enough free time. Instead of relying on appointments, you can call your concierge doctor whenever you feel sick, and they will schedule an appointment within hours.
Thorough Annual Medical Checkups
The time your doctor has during your annual physicals can determine the thoroughness of the exercise. Since a traditional primary physician serves many patients every day, they’ll only perform the basic tests and review them at a later date. So, you may wait for your results for a week or two.
However, if you are a member of a concierge doctor service, your doctor has enough time to offer a variety of tests and screenings. Also, since the doctor is not in a hurry to finish the process and call in another patient, they will review your results and personally explain to you what the results say about your current health status.
If you want a relationship with your doctor, a concierge doctor is better than a traditional primary physician. All the benefits above make the membership fee for concierge medicine worthwhile.
At Seaside Medical Practice, we use the latest advances in medicine to meet the health demands of all our clients. Contact us today to learn more about our membership-based practice.