What are you looking for in a Doctor?

I’m spending some time thinking about 2016.  Since healthcare reform started I’ve seen rapid changes in care access, cost, and patient frustration levels.

In my community patients report greater cost, less coverage, but not necessarily better access.  Many of my colleagues are selling their practices to large managed care organizations or insurance companies. Patients are told they can’t see their primary care physician because they’ve been assigned to another.

My primary concern centers on patient care.  In my career I have seen the rise of managed care.  The pressure of documentation, quality measure management, referrals, prior authorizations, and related third party payer check boxes has shifted physician workload from professional caregiver to that of a data manager.

This post is for information gathering purposes.

Help me understand what you believe would make medical care more VALUABLE!

I’m pondering the best way to provide professional services for ALL members of my community, insured, non-insured, high-deductible, no-deductible alike., healthy, and sick.

I’m wondering what people value the most?

1)Seeing the same doctor?

2)Same day access?

3)Convenience (Virtual visits, phone consults)?

4)More cost effective? (Flat cost visits, A La Cart Menu’s, Group Visits)

Any comments are welcome!

In medical training I was taught, if you listen to your patient long enough they will tell you what’s wrong!

Somehow I imagine the same is true for healthcare, real healthcare, not simply some piece of paper that says you have insurance coverage.

I’m also not referring to simply a clinic where your insurance is accepted, but a place of healing where you get REAL information that can begin REAL change, cures, or improvements in well-being.

…not just determine the next medication to add.

I will respond to all comments and I thank you in advance for taking the time to share your opinions.