Patient Empowerment With Direct Access Primary Care

I recently heard direct access primary care described as offering patient empowerment, and I love this. Historically, patients would contact their physician directly for their needs or concerns. Over the years, the need for administrative staff has significantly increased - trying to get payment from insurance companies requires an entire department of dedicated employees! With the growing number of people required to run an outpatient office, the distance between the doctor and the patient grows as well. When I was a resident, there was not a robust portal messaging system set up. In medical school, we were still on paper charts! With this set up, it was near impossible for a patient to reach me. Interactions were only initiated on the physician end, or after receiving a message that had been passed through so many different people it entirely lost its original meaning like a true game of telephone.

With the development of portal messaging, there suddenly became a way to speak, albeit non-verbally, directly to your doctor. However, because medical practices are at the mercy of insurance companies, there is no way to bill for an interaction that happens via portal or email. So rather than being able to embrace this open line of communication, we had to limit it as much as possible. Healthcare systems even started putting a limit on the number of characters that can go in a text box to discourage patients from using it! And I certainly don’t judge other physicians for shunning communication via portal messaging. It was not too long ago that I was chugging through 20 patients a day in the office only to find 50 more patient messages waiting for me in my inbox. It was this, in large part, that le d to my decision to leave and start a new kind of practice.

What I love about direct access care is, as the name suggests, direct access! It’s wonderful that patients reach out to me directly - no red tape, no automated robo calls, no distorted or lost messaging as it passes from person to person and department to department. This model does empower patients to be in control of their health. Rather than limit a text box, a member of my practice is free to write me an essay, a daily newsletter, a journal entry, a passing thought, anything! I am here for quick questions, advice on over the counter medications, nutrition recommendations, exercise ideas, medication questions, and anything else health related. We can prioritize preventative care, and tailor health recommendations around specific personal needs and values.

All of this is achieved with transparent pricing. Rather than surprise bills, variable deductibles, and additional charges, direct access models offer consistent membership fees. Being more involved with your physician, and specifically having access to timely care, has been shown to improve health outcomes which lowers healthcare costs in the long run. If you are tired of never being able to speak to your doctor, never getting an appointment when you need one, and having your concerns brushed off or minimized, then explore making a change to direct access primary care with Slack Family Practice!