BY ZACHARIA WASHINGTON
What else?
Looking ahead
Survey says
2P
The Direct Primary Care Coalition surveyed 200 physicians for a May 2020 study. At the time, the number represented 10%-20% of all DPC physicians.
Several local health care professionals said they believe today’s primary care system needs a fix. “It’s really hard in the insurance-based world because you have to see 30-ish patients a day, and you just do paperwork all day,” McKitterick said. About 97% of physicians surveyed in the study by the DPC Coalition reported having a better relation- ship with their patients, and 98% reported a better ability to practice medicine under the DPC model. DPC providers have a smaller set of patients, can visit with patients for longer periods of time and are able to be more accessible to their patients, some- times 24/7 by text, video and other communication channels, according to the study. In traditional practices, doctors are often held to certain metrics, Keller said, which can restrict them from being able to focus on patient care. “The system is a lose-lose; it’s a lose for the physicians; it’s a lose for the patients,” Keller said.
Area health care providers said the DPC model will likely continue to grow in the coming years. However, Larson said it will be awhile until it becomes the main form of primary care. McKitterick said for the model to grow, patients need to be educated on what it is. She said society has made people believe they absolutely need insurance, when that’s not always the case. People can choose to pay cash for a lot of procedures, which can be significantly cheaper than going through insurance, she said. “[Insurance companies] have a really expensive product that is incredibly confusing, and no one understands, yet everyone buys it,” she said. “I think if people were more educated on what their insurance actually does and doesn’t do, they would stop buying it.” As DPC clinics continue to put down roots in the health care industry, Keller said specialty doctors, such as dermatologists and ophthalmologists, will also more than likely begin implementing the model at their practices.
Reasons providers choose DPC: Providing better care: 96%
More time for visits: 85%
Decreasing amount of paperwork: 78%
Physicians felt better about: Personal and professional satisfaction: 99%
Ability to practice medicine: 98%
Quality of primary care: 98%
Relationships with their primary care patients: 97%
SOURCE: DIRECT PRIMARY CARE COALITION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Factors to consider when choosing a medical provider
What are the options?
Overall status of health Insurance coverage
Though some providers consider DPC as an alternative to the standard, fee-for-service model, it probably isn’t the best for every patient, Miller said. A membership may not be financially beneficial for a person who is generally healthy and only visits the doctor about twice a year, Miller said. Leander resident Trudi Komorn transitioned to the model when her longtime family doctor adopted it. Because Komorn has an autoimmune disease and her husband has other medical issues, she said the membership is beneficial and gives her peace
[Doctors] are looking for new ways to provide the best care possible. I think [direct primary care] is going to catch on because it’s the only way to take care of people. JAMIE KELLER, OWNER OF CORNERSTONE PATIENT ADVOCACY
Satisfaction level with current health care Amount of doctor’s office visits per year Management needed for any chronic conditions
SOURCES: EUPHORIA HEALTH, IMPACT FAMILY WELLNESS, PREMIER HEALTH MD/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
of mind, despite the cost. It allows her family 24/7 access to their doctor and same-day appointments.
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