Buckle up and embrace the change

Given the new reality we need to avoid going to the hospital for non-emergent ailments and that is pushing our society to consider our healthcare delivery options. Telemedicine has long been advertised as a must have but across the nation the average utilization stands at only 5%. Is the lack of usage a result of the consumer experience or aversion to change? I would argue the latter. Humans resist a perceived loss of control. I urge you to buckle up and embrace the change.

1.       Artificial Intelligence could replace going to your Doctor

Imagine a world where you can text and send pictures of your medical ailment and use an Artificial Intelligence bot that could triage your problem and put you directly in touch with a specialist. All at your fingertips! Virtual care technology presently exists and is available to be added on to your total rewards package, at any time. Currently, private practices are all but shut down to minimize the impact of COVID-19. Primary care practices now have the difficult task of a discerning what is non-essential care. For anything that is not life threatening, you should avoid going to the hospital. Virtual based care is an efficient way in to receive a diagnosis and treatment. The treatment plan is based on your specific needs and any follow up questions are welcome, with no additional charge.

2.      Telemedicine vs. Virtual Based Care

One of my favorite components of this technology is the fact it can integrate virtual & brick and mortar care processes. Instead of using your primary care office or urgent care, you can simply launch an app. This is not to be confused with telemedicine. Telemedicine is a great platform but often it is used for common ailments (ear, nose and throat issues). 

With Virtual based primary care, you do not need to make an appointment for virtual primary care; it is on a needs basis. You can message, talk or video chat all within the app. No co-pays or bills, just one flat fee.

3.      Access To Care Without Barriers

SO, what kind of doctors are on the platform? Doctors who have trained at world-renowned academic institutions. The goal with this service is to embrace people with empathy and cordiality. These pioneers went virtual long before this pandemic because they believe in disrupting the status quo.

Common human behavior dictates that people operate out of incentive. A fee-for-service model promotes unnecessary medical visits and in turn, higher costs. Direct Primary Care is a subscription-based model that allows for unlimited primary care visits.

The American Academy of Family Physicians captured it best, “DPC is about focusing our attention, time and effort on caring for our patients-directly, without oversight from nonmedical administrators, using evidence-based guidelines individualized for the circumstances of each patient.”

Patients want access to care without barriers. Doctors want more patients and less paperwork.

A subscription model payment achieves two distinct goals.

First, it allows doctors to effectively practice medicine without a time or financial constraint. If they have a large number of patients to service, they are faced with an influx of insurance coding issues to get the billing right. If they do not code correctly, the insurance company will not pay them. The administrative burden leaves doctors with less time to practice healthcare.

Second, focused outcomes! By utilizing a shared platform between the doctor and patient with digital necessities like email and video chat, the doctor can conduct a meaningful review. This provides a more accurate record of your medical history and leaves very little room for human error. Digitization provides a pathway towards eliminating miscommunication between the doctor and patient.

No more waiting in the doctor’s office, 20 minutes past your appointment time!