Patients with complex medical conditions want more time with health care providers.
The good news is that doctors who practice direct primary care (DPC) can spend more time with their patients. That’s because they have removed themselves from the complexities of the insurance world and all of its billing codes and prior authorizations. So far, the available qualitative and quantitative data make a compelling case that chronically ill patients value DPC because they enjoy being able to have continuous interactions (both in-person and virtually) with their direct care doctor – all for an average $75 monthly fee.
In fact, after surveying 26 DPC practices, 71 percent of total patients are reported to have at least one chronic disease.
The story below illustrates how one North Carolina DPC physician worked to get one of his patients on a consistent regimen to manage his diabetes:
