| A Different Kind of Medical Practice We hear a lot about how US medicine is broken, from how we spend trillions for unimpressive outcomes, to the growing epidemic of drug abuse, obesity and diabetes. In general, there are two major limitations in conventional medicine as typically practiced. First it does not effectively address the fact that most individuals’ health is determined by day-to-day behavior, an understanding of health-defining influences like unprocessed food and regular exercise, and how lifestyle choices affect the body. Unfortunately, Dr. Google is not measuring up to the education needs of the country. Second, conventional medicine is overly reliant on drugs that suppress symptoms without addressing underlying causes. For example, your insomnia, probably isn’t due to a deficiency of sleep inducing drugs despite the millions of prescriptions filled. The dilemma is that most doctors today don’t have the time to educate you and support you in addressing the multiple reasons you can’t sleep. As a result, patients may walk out with a drug like Ambien with significant long term cost and problematic side effects. Providing good healthcare requires time to addresses the root causes of problems and seek understanding of the multiple upstream factors that determine a person’s health, including personal history, genetics, current lifestyle, environment, and mental/emotional factors. Solution may involve diet, lifestyle modification, stress management, detoxification, supplements, botanical medicines, and when necessary, prescription drugs. The typical doctor appointment that’s reimbursed by insurance is far too short for in-depth analysis. In the typical insurance reimbursed appointments, additional time beyond the average 5-7 minutes with you will typically be time spent by the doctor doing mandatory documentation to get paid. Before a doctor can escape the hamster wheel of fast medicine two things are needed: First, a direct-primary care based membership approach, meaning patients pay a monthly subscription fee. This keeps the doctor focused on the patient rather than the clock. Second, an appreciation that with the help of a long term health care mentor, meaningful long-term health goals become possible. The importance of this critical health coach relationship can’t be overstated. A long term commitment to education and personal support is critical to the success of patients who would otherwise struggle to make and maintain lifestyle change. Getting quality medical service will increasingly require selecting a doctor that offers a more personalized service. For a fee, seniors can contract with a personal care/concierge doctor that offers prompt access, adequate time for appointments, options for calling them directly, time to make good medical decisions, and advocacy when seeking care beyond the primary care doctor’s office. Tell Me More about Concierge Physicians in Huntsville, Alabama. Exit |