My explanation of how Direct Primary Care can meets the needs of primary care in response to H&HN Daily article
Original Article in Hospitals and Health Networks
While Direct Primary Care (DPC) is not mentioned directly in this article, it is a growing model of care which can meet many of these ten goals.
(Numbers refer to top 10 listed in article)
1) By limiting patient panel size, the DPC doctor can provide same or next day scheduling.
2) By designing a system which allows them to both spend time with patients and keep abreast of current research, DPC doctors can provide the most up to date care.
3) DPC physicians can listen to their patients as they have stronger relationships with their patients which are open to two way communication.
4) Fewer referrals are needed to specialists and fewer tests are needed when physicians can spend more time with patients taking a history.
5) DPC physicians have time to develop better relationships with specialists and better monitor their patients’ care while seeing the specialists.
6) DPC physicians can walk through the process with patients and better patient-physician relationships can increase compliance.
7) DPC physicians can spend time caring for patients rather than third party payers.
8) DPC physician groups have time to collaborate on difficult cases.
9) The patient can determine quality and productivity is measured by patient satisfaction.
10) DPC practices are far more efficient, requiring far less overhead and fewer moving parts to operate.
I hope more physicians look at this Direct Primary Care model and see that it can be a star player in reforming healthcare while lowering expenses.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
