A Concierge Isn't Just at A Hotel Anymore...
The Sunday Baltimore Sun featured a story about "concierge" medicine and a Maryland trend of primary care docs charging premium membership fees on the order of $4000 or more for patients to be part of their practice. The reason? One doc was quoted in the article:
"Primary-care doctors are seeing 30 to 40 patients a day - that's too many," said Dr. Harry A. Oken, who has been with Charter Internal Medicine for more than 20 years. "It's not about the money. It's about having the time to spend with your patients to keep them healthy."
With a shortage of primary care docs already existing in this country, the fact that some of them will now be isolating themselves inside these so-called "boutiques" of medicine is troubling to some. For example, Art Caplan has said it's a clear sign of a broken primary care system. Yet, the AMA has said that the practice is not inherently bad, unless the practice means that differential care is provided by concierge medicine.
In any case, these positions would both seem to raise relevant questions about the development of this trend. The fact that primary care physicians feel the need to change their practices to restricted-access, members-only places more like country clubs than doctors offices suggest that these doctors are feeling too overwhelmed with the demands of their profession and that perhaps more primary care physicians must be trained. If that is difficult to do, primary care as a career path must be incentivized for doctors-in-training and the practice of primary care must be made different not the horrible 30 to 40 patient a day experience described in the Baltimore Sun.
Moreover, doctors must understand the ethics of providing primary care--and whether they treat 2 or 22 patients a day they all must receive the same quality of care. Regardless of whether one paid a $20 co-pay or a $20,000 concierge membership fee to see them.
Summer Johnson, PhD
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To begin with, most concierge practices charge a retainer fee considerably less than $4,000 per patient and, given the expendables on which people spend their money (lattes, cigarettes), I’d say the retainer is a bargain. (No,I’m not a concierge physician.) However, physicians ARE feeling pushed and patients are feeling rushed when they are in the office, usually after waiting a considerable amount of time to get the appointment, and then waiting (sometimes quite a while) in the office. There is no way that an 8-15 minute appointment can result in truly quality care—the barest minimum perhaps, but that only. As for the physician-patient relationship, not much can be said for that either.
While there does seem to be growth in the concept (perhaps more apparent than real), it is the newest forms into which it is morphing where the real hope for it lies, viz. the pilot program in West Virginia and that of the Palm Beach Medical Society’s collaboration with MDVIP.
- by Lee Hover, D.M.H. on Oct 28, 2008 at 10:59 PM | link
On one side, there are overworked doctors who see nothing wrong with the current billing system and in fact suggest that more compensation is necessary, especially for the primary care providers.
- by Sujan P on Jan 10, 2009 at 3:52 AM | link
Concierge medicine is driven by patient dissatisfaction over our present fast-food medical model of HMOs, PPOs and a failing Medicare system. Patients love the time they have with their concierge doctors. Doctors love having the time to do what they were trained to do. Unless primary care medicine becomes more attractive to young doctors, by implementing models such as concierge medicine, no one will opt for a career in internal medicine, family practice or pediatrics and the shortage of primary care doctors will only worsen.
I am engaged in Elitehealth.com concierge wellness program which is designed for healthcare at concierge level. They are providing me medication with care at the highest level of comfort. Their wellness program allows me to have a direct access to my personal physician via phone and email, but also in the emergency situation which I had because of having a heart attack, physician came home and also were present in the emergency room to expedite my care. They provided me a patient care concierge who managed all my transportation and accommodation. All this meant a lot to me when it comes to health. So, a concierge level hospitalization is a boon to me, and many other who are desiring to experience.
- by Elite Health on Jun 1, 2009 at 3:44 AM | link
Concierge medicine is driven by patient dissatisfaction over our present fast-food medical model of HMOs, PPOs and a failing Medicare system. Patients love the time they have with their concierge doctors. Doctors love having the time to do what they were trained to do. Unless primary care medicine becomes more attractive to young doctors, by implementing models such as concierge medicine, no one will opt for a career in internal medicine, family practice or pediatrics and the shortage of primary care doctors will only worsen.
I am engaged in Elitehealth.com concierge wellness program which is designed for healthcare at concierge level. They are providing me medication with care at the highest level of comfort. Their wellness program allows me to have a direct access to my personal physician via phone and email, but also in the emergency situation which I had because of having a heart attack, physician came home and also were present in the emergency room to expedite my care. They provided me a patient care concierge who managed all my transportation and accommodation. All this meant a lot to me when it comes to health. So, a concierge level hospitalization is a boon to me, and many other who are desiring to experience.
- by Elite Health on Jun 11, 2009 at 4:28 AM | link