In fact, almost half of all healthcare spending goes toward treating chronic conditions that could have been prevented if patients had access to regular checkups and other preventive care services.
But what if there was another way? What if you could get personalized, affordable care from a physician who sees you in person? That’s Direct Primary Care (DPC), a game-changer for preventive care.
Here’s how DPC is helping make preventative medicine possible:
What is Direct Primary Care?
Direct primary care is a medical practice that provides comprehensive, affordable, and accessible care. It differs from traditional medical methods, focusing on preventive medicine rather than treating acute illnesses. DPC aims to help patients stay healthy so they don’t need expensive hospital or emergency room visits later.
Due to the benefits to both patients and doctors, many physicians have adopted the DPC model. According to recent data, over 1,600 DPC practices exist in the USA. Preventive care is vital for everyone, including students. Hence, many educational institutes also ensure they offer students proper primary care. That’s why the University of Tulsa partnered with a primary care provider.
Direct primary care providers see their patients for regular checkups. Still, they don’t do any surgery or prescribe medications. Those services fall under the umbrella of “specialty” medicine.
They are provided by other healthcare professionals like family doctors or internists who work in hospitals or private offices instead of working out of their homes like direct primary care physicians do.
The Benefits of Direct Primary Care
DPC is a game-changer for preventive care in many ways. Some of these benefits of adopting the DPC approach include the following:
Increased Access to Care
Direct primary care is a game-changer for preventive care. With traditional health insurance, you must wait until you’re sick before seeing your doctor and getting treatment.
Direct primary care allows you to see your doctor anytime you need to without worrying about whether or not your plan will cover it. It’s convenient and affordable. Best of all, it gives patients access to high-quality healthcare whenever they need it most. DPC membership is relatively cheap at $75 as of 2020.
When looking for a DPC service provider, look for local doctors. This will ensure you can pay frequent visits to the clinic for regular health checkups. For instance, just like the University of Tulsa, you can collaborate with Tulsa doctors to get primary care.
So look for Tulsa doctors, and pick the one that can offer you the best care. One way to do this is by looking for doctors who can help determine the benefits of DPC for you.
For example, Craft Concierge, a DPC provider in Tulsa, mentioned the many benefits of this approach during an interview with News Channel 8. Dr. Amber Blazer, the medical director at Craft Concierge, gave the interview and explained a few benefits of DPC and how it differs from traditional patient care.
Personalized Care
Direct Primary Care is a game-changer for preventive care because it allows doctors to spend more time with patients, getting to know them as individuals. Your doctor can develop a plan for your care based on your needs and preferences.
In contrast, when you enter an urgent care center or hospital emergency room, dozens, if not hundreds, of others are waiting for attention. There’s no way for doctors in those settings to focus on each person individually. They must treat everyone the same way because they lack time.
Focus on Prevention
DPC practices focus on prevention, not just treatment.
They see the whole patient, not just their illness. They’re interested in your overall well-being, not just what’s wrong with you. And they want to know how things like your diet or exercise habits affect your health over time, and then they help guide you toward making changes that can improve those areas of your life, which may also improve other aspects. If you’re seeking reliable primary care providers who prioritize holistic health and wellness, you can find Primary Care providers through Complete Health. Their network of healthcare professionals offers comprehensive primary care services to address your medical needs and support your overall well-being.
Examples of Preventive Care Services Offered by Direct Primary Care Providers
You can expect to receive the following services from your direct primary care provider:
- Physical exams: A licensed professional perform these tasks like a physician or nurse practitioner. They’re done regularly, accurately showing your overall health status.
- Chronic disease management: Suppose you have diabetes or high blood pressure, for example. In that case, it’s vital that these conditions be monitored closely so that they don’t progress into more serious illnesses like heart disease or kidney failure. Your primary care doctor will work closely with specialists specializing in treating these conditions if necessary.
However, he or she will also guide how best to manage them at home through lifestyle changes like diet and exercise and perhaps even medication if necessary to help prevent their progression into something more serious later. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-third of all deaths in the US occur due to heart disease and stroke, making it crucial to manage chronic disease.
- Health risk assessments, blood pressure checks, stress management counseling, breast cancer screenings, etc.
Why Is It a Game-Changer for Preventive Care?
First, it allows you to have increased access to your doctor. Instead of waiting weeks or months for an appointment with a specialist, you can see your primary care provider (PCP) on short notice and get answers to your questions right away.
This is especially important when getting immediate help with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes that require regular monitoring and management. Direct primary care also means that if something comes up between visits, a sore throat, or a cut finger, you don’t have to waste time calling around until someone’s available.
The second reason DPC is a game-changer in preventive care is personalized care. Direct primary care practices emphasize prevention rather than treatment after the fact. This results in less frequent but more effective treatments because doctors can spend more time with each patient getting them on track before something goes wrong rather than trying desperately afterward.
Conclusion
Direct primary care is a game-changer for preventive care because it puts the patient at the center of care. When you have a relationship with your provider and know your medical history, they can better advise you on staying healthy and preventing illness.
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