What Kind of Relationship Do I Want with My Doctor?

Both patients and doctors are looking for solutions. "The doctor shortage is real - it's significant," AAMC President and CEO Darrell Kirch, M.D. said recently. "Doctors rush through appointments as if on roller skates to see more patients and perform more procedures, " one report from Kaiser Health News concluded.

Under these conditions, medical care can become more reactive rather than pro-active. It may emphasize treatment of symptoms, rather than ways to prevent illness and maintain good health. Higher-quality health care requires a strong, trustful, unhurried doctor-patient relationship - and a new environment for achieving them. 

Many patients regard their relationship with the doctor as a key component of medical quality. The relationship requires that the doctor can invest time to get to know you, your overall health data, and your particular health needs. In a national survey conducted by Klein and Partners, 60% of participates cited "personal attention of physician" as the top reason to stay with their doctor.

If these factors are also important to you, you'll be looking for a practice that allows the doctor-patient relationship to flourish. Inevitably, that means the doctor has to have more time and fewer patients. A smaller "patient load" is the foundation of concierge medical care.

At WellcomeMD, for example, each doctor sees a fraction of the number of patients he or she would have at a typical practice: less than 20 percent. Some concierge offices carry higher numbers of patients-per-doctor, however. You will want to ask. 

To learn more about how Wellcome MD can offer you the personalized care you deserve, visit https://www.wellcomemd.com/what-we-do/