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Concierge Medicine
August 29, 2007
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Could it be the return of the house call? The new term may be Concierge Doctor.
There are only about
250 in practice in the United States. The doctors provide
special concierge-type service to their patients.
Dr. Wayne Burr, an internal medicine specialist with Lee Memorial Health System,
explains the concierge options here in Southwest Florida. He says, “We have a registered
dietician that can do weight counseling, nutrition counseling, and a whole host
of things that are geared toward total wellness. We also have a massage therapist
we certainly strongly believe in that for medical massage as far as a total wellness
approach.”
Just like
our parents and grandparents might remember, doctors are again starting
to make bedside visits or even workplace visits. The house-calls may fill a need for patients with busy schedules.
“The accessibility to the patient is very important with this type of practice.
A lot of people don’t have the time to take a half day from work of they’re
sick. So we give them opportunity,” says Dr. Burr. Concierge medicine could
make accessing your physician a lot easier. It could also include a membership fee
separate from your health insurance. But some say the convenience makes the service
worthwhile.
Dr. Burr agrees. “If they are not able to come to the office to have their healthcare
taken care of then we can actually go to them.”
Other concierge services provided include 24-hour access to the doctor’s cell phone
and even a personal fitness trainer. All providers have different benefits so check
out which package will work out best for you.
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