Having a close relationship with your doctor may seem like a long-lost notion these days, but it is certainly possible with a Direct Primary Care (DPC) membership plan.
When you provide this service to your employees or your own family, it allows them to not only have readily available access to their doctor whenever they need it, but it facilitates a more hands-on approach that will supply them with a huge range of benefits.
Most importantly, you can finally have convenient, accessible primary care from a physician you know and trust at an affordable and predictable cost. Every day of the year.
In this article, we take you through those benefits and clue you into why a Direct Primary Care membership will make for happier and healthier employees. (And families.)
The Benefits of Having a Hands-On Doctor
You’ll go to your annual appointments and then some
Yearly check-ups are an important part of staying healthy, but are people actually receiving this care from one year to the next? A U.S. News study found that 92% of those polled noted this as an important part of their healthcare benefits package.
Luckily, with a DPC membership plan, patients are free to receive their annual checkup as well as an unlimited number of doctors visits (in-person or virtual) in between. Because only 20 percent of the preventive health services provided in the United States are delivered at annual checkups (according to a study conducted by Slate), seeing the doctor often for screenings and preventative care is vital to one’s health.
Having a close relationship with one’s doctor, along with convenient access, makes them more willing to receive this frequent care and gives them a heightened sense of trust in their physician.
You’ll communicate more clearly
It can be intimidating for some to visit the doctor and to receive treatment, preventative care, and health screenings. Part of this is attributed to fear while others feel as though they can’t adequately communicate with their doctor because of a lack of a relationship.
Having a close-knit relationship between the two parties will allow for an ease of communication that makes the patient feel both comfortable and well informed at all times, also making it easier to ask questions that could be considered “embarrassing” or difficult to ask.
You’ll be healthier overall
Believe it or not, studies show that a positive doctor-patient relationship can actually have a positive effect on a patient’s health. The journal PLOS One conducted this study, finding that patients who reported working with a doctor with a good bedside manner or having a positive relationship are healthier overall.
This was particularly true in patients with conditions such as obesity, diabetes, asthma, and osteoarthritis. The effect of this relationship showed to have a similar impact to what a low-dose aspirin would have on pain, in fact. If that doesn’t show the relationship matters, we’re not sure what would!
The bottom line
The bottom line is that a positive doctor-patient relationship matters to your health and happiness. DPC ensures that you have the ability to form these positive relationships and lead a healthier life. See what FIrst Primary Care can do for you and your health!