June 26, 2013 - The Concierge Medicine Research Collective, an independent health care research and data depository of the concierge and direct primary care industry’s trade publication, Concierge Medicine Today based in Atlanta, GA released a 3-year summary of its analysis on the popularity and growth of the concierge medicine and direct primary care marketplace. They asked physicians from across the U.S. from December 2009 to December 2012 questions pertaining to their concierge medicine and direct primary care practice, patient satisfaction, business strategies, revenues and more. The analysis revealed the following results:
- Nearly 70% of current U.S. concierge medicine and direct primary care physicians operating practices today are internal medicine specialists.
- The second most popular medical specialty in concierge medicine is family practice.
- A surprising finding in this study was the increasing number of concierge cardiology, dental and pediatric practices opening from February of 2010 to December 2012.
- The combined average annual income of a typical concierge medicine [and direct care] patient is between $50,000 to $200,000 per year.
- Average annual compensation/salary of concierge doctor is between $100,000 and $300,000 per year.
- The typical age of concierge doctor is between 40-59 years of age.
- 77% of a concierge [and direct primary care] patients are between the age of 40-59 years old.
- A concierge medicine doctor who provides 24/7 cell phone access receives the majority (83%) of phone calls from their patients during normal business hours, Monday thru Friday.
- 62% of direct care and concierge medical offices employ between 1-2 office employees.
- The most common reason why patients using concierge medicine call their doctor: Prescription Renewals (38%); Cold/Flu Symptoms (19%); Back Pain (14%); and Headaches (13%).
- Most concierge doctors and direct primary care physicians treat six to eight patients per day.
- More than 70% of concierge [and direct primary care] doctors will visit with their patients between 30-60 minutes per office visit, enough time to discuss case history, examination, other symptoms, treatment options and strategy for care.
- Patients using concierge medicine [and direct primary care] comply with scripts and recommendations far more due to the doctor’s routine personal follow-up with the patients and explaining the importance of compliance and other treatment options.
“Our analysis looked at concierge medicine’s growth, the business models used, popular trends, and a wide variety of physician surveys, interviews and secure polling data on a lot of aspects pertaining to the average [concierge and direct primary care] practice,” said Michael Tetreault, Editor-In-Chief of Concierge Medicine Today. “These doctors [internal medicine and family] are by choice and nature, treating nearly 90% of every patient’s healthcare concerns, ailments and concerns each year. For over a decade now, concierge medicine has had a love-hate relationship with the public. The public loves the idea or loathes it. However, if they truly understand it, there’s nothing that quite compares to it. It’s an educational curve we’re overcoming in the marketplace on a national level with analysis and education like this.”
Source: http://getcurrentfaster.com/obamacare-spurs-interest-in-concierge-medicine/
