(Forbes) Concierge medical practices are becoming more normative across a broad spectrum of patients.
As the current traditional healthcare system is considered “broken,” other alternatives are being pursued.
This is particularly true when it comes to primary care where concierge medicine is proving to be a very powerful solution.
While the potential to provide superior primary care is tremendous because of concierge medicine, success is ultimately predicated on the quality of the physician/patient relationship.
Providing excellent concierge medicine is all about optimizing the patient experience. When patients feel they are being heard, well cared for and have better health outcomes to show for it, they will be generous and loyal.
According to Daniel Carlin, M.D., CEO of WorldClinic and author of The World of Concierge Medicine, “Most conventional practices do not give doctors enough time to be truly accountable for the holistic oversight of their patients’ healthcare. Concierge healthcare patients place real value on having enough time to communicate their problems with doctors, they appreciate that their doctors remember who they are and that there is true continuity between visits.”
“It is the human connection between physician and patient that is often critical to being able to deliver high-quality medical care and the success of the concierge healthcare practice,” says Jeffrey Friedman M.D., director of Medicine at Community Health Associates and an affiliated primary care physician with MDVIP.
“My decision to establish a concierge medical practice and that of a great many other doctors is because it enables me to practice medicine with the patient’s welfare as my primary focus. By being there for my patients 24/7 and knowing them as people, as well as understanding their medical history, I’m able to give them the best care possible and help them deal with difficult healthcare situations if they arise.”
As the concierge healthcare industry continues to mature, price points and methods of practice will become progressively standardized. This maturation will be further abetted by the successful integration of patient-friendly smartphone applications for the ongoing monitoring of simple chronic illnesses.
These apps will deliver superior results in both clinical outcomes and patient engagement.
In the end though, the most successful concierge practices will still keep their emphasis on the personal and “high-touch” will come ahead of “high-tech”.
