Why a Small Practice Doctor might be Better

A recent article featured on the medical blog, www.Kevinmd.com, highlights some super important reasons as to why you might consider seeing a doctor who is not affiliated with a hospital or large system.  As a small, direct primary care practice here at Direct Doctors, we wholeheartedly agree!

​The author highlights the fact that the business model of hospital owned primary care….”emphasizes revenue maximization over patient well-being.” He also notes that “add in a conflict of interest regarding referrals to the same hospital system, and a lack of costing and pricing transparency, and the traditional hospital-employed physician model has shown its fair share of cracks."  In addition, when patients have testing done at in-hospital labs and facilities, the costs are higher than stand-alone centers.

His solution?  "For hospitals caught in a downward financial spiral, there’s a beacon of hope – releasing primary care doctors to start their own Direct Primary Care (DPC) and accessible concierge health care clinics."  As DPC doctors, we don’t have any incentives to send you to a certain specialist or hospital - so, if you have someone you’ve seen for 10 years, we won’t push you to go elsewhere.  If we like a certain hospital for one type of care and a second for another, we can refer to both!  

While hospitals are absolutely essential in our medical system, the idea that they may be better off as a separate entity from primary care is key.  If you’d prefer a doctor whose incentives are not to send you for expensive hospital-based testing or refer you only to their network of specialists, the doctors at www.directdoctors.org might be the difference you are looking for!