(Forbes) Medical care – especially primary medical care – is changing and not necessarily all for the better. Because of financial pressure, for example, the ability of many primary care physicians to develop longer-term relationships with their patients is increasingly difficult, often impossible. This is prompting a dramatic change in the way many people are accessing high-quality primary medical care.
According to Daniel Carlin, M.D., CEO of WorldClinic and author of The World of Concierge Medicine, “Just about every year, more and more doctors leave conventional practices, either selling them to larger medical groups or hospitals, or they choose to become concierge medical practitioners. With the strong and persistent rise in concierge healthcare, a lot of the best primary care physicians are no longer accessible to most patients. Patients need to get proactive, and employers need to look to connected concierge medicine to keep their workforces healthier as the healthcare system in the U.S. likely worsens.”
Based on extensive research in the field, the driving motivation for the great majority of physicians to establish concierge medical practices is to ensure good patient care. “My decision to convert my medical practice to concierge medical practice was based on my desire to be able to provide patients with the level of care I believe is essential to not only treat illness, but also to help them avoid becoming sick,” says Jeffrey Friedman M.D., director of Medicine at Community Health Associates and a member of MDVIP. “Having a deep understanding of my patents, from their medical history, to how things need to be explained to each one so they understand what they need to do and why, means I have to put in the time and effort. The only way I’m able to deliver the highest quality medical care is by being a concierge physician.”
Concierge medicine is the solution for a growing number of primary care physicians to be able to practice the highest quality medical care. This trend is only likely to intensify going forwards.
