Concierge healthcare becomes popular

Concierge healthcare is merely an agreement between a patient and a primary care doctor, or group of doctors, that a monthly or annual fee will be paid in return for quick access to around the clock services, according to Forbes.

These fees can range from tens of thousands per year to as little as $2,000. It’s like having a doctor on retainer to ensure that an uncomplicated illness or even a chronic disease won’t require the patient to wait long hours in an emergency room or doctor’s office. The physician, on the other hand, can see fewer patients while providing more personal care and maintaining the most modern equipment.

Many primary care physicians have been adopting a concierge model for their practices in recent years for financial reasons as well as personal preference. Doctors that made the switch overwhelmingly pointed to their desire to provide better preventive care as the most significant reason for the change. It allowed them to spend more time talking to their patients about the root causes of their illness and to develop treatments. As an example, doctors that can treat patients in this way were able to control blood pressure in 90 percent of cases compared to the national average of only 54 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For those with the need and the means to pay for it, total care platforms exist at the top end of concierge healthcare and offer services beyond easy access to doctors. Those with chronic diseases, for instance, can find custom contingency plans to handle expected complications, longevity plans to extend life, and even remote monitoring and digital diagnosis and treatment. Powered by smartphones, patients can enjoy the benefits of a doctor with intimate knowledge of their health records and receive prescriptions or referrals from wherever they may be at the time.