By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    benefits of using protein powder to build muscles
    Protein Powder for Muscle Mass: Everything You Need to Know
    December 12, 2021
    changes brought on by blockchain in healthcare
    Technology In The Healthcare Industry
    March 28, 2022
    What Does Core Body Temperature Say About Health?
    August 17, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    FDA Approves Diabetes Pill
    May 2, 2011
    Patient Gets Drunk on Hand Sanitizer
    June 20, 2011
    Cultivating Health Improvement
    July 20, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Concierge Medicine Will be Driven by Looming Doctor Shortage
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Concierge Medicine Will be Driven by Looming Doctor Shortage
Business

Concierge Medicine Will be Driven by Looming Doctor Shortage

dikedrummond
Last updated: September 13, 2012 8:41 am
dikedrummond
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

I believe the projected doctor shortage caused by the Affordable Care Act will drive primary care into two opposite tracks

Contents
The coming tidal wave of newly insured patients1) Volume Driven:  Doctor as apex of a care pyramid2) Service Driven: Concierge Medicine/direct care modelPLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with your thoughts on concierge medicine and how to handle the coming doctor shortage.

I believe the projected doctor shortage caused by the Affordable Care Act will drive primary care into two opposite tracks

  • The “Apex of the Pyramid” Track
  • The Concierge Medicine Track

Each is a distinct and logical response to the patient overload from the doctor shortage that is rapidly approaching. Each points out gaping holes in our medical education that must be addressed. Concierge medicine has an additional powerful force acting in its favor which I detail below.

The coming tidal wave of newly insured patients

Association of American Medical Colleges  estimates that there will be a doctor shortage of 63,000 doctors by 2015 and 130,600 by 2025 in the wake of the SCOTUS decision to let the Affordable Care Act stand. This doctor shortage is caused by a tidal wave of newly insured patients has to be served somehow and US Medical Schools and Residency Programs cannot supply anywhere near these numbers of new physicians in this short of a time frame.

More Read

global health
New PPP Tests Innovations in Health Aid
Quality Improvement Using Patient Self-Management: Video Debate
Hospital Visitors Recall Digital, TV and Print Ads
Pharmacy Benefit Managers vs Physicians: Let the Games Begin!
No Savings from Raising Medicare Age

How will healthcare markets respond to this doctor shortage – especially with regards to primary care? I see two likely options  – please leave a comment with your thoughts.

1) Volume Driven:  Doctor as apex of a care pyramid

 

In the more traditional practice structure, the doctor shortage will force the primary care physician to become the leader of a care team supervising a number of physician extenders who provide the majority of the hands on services. The skill and experience of the physician will be saved for the more complicated and severe cases seen that day.

The majority of the doctor’s activity will be devoted to leading and coordinating the care provided by the pyramid of N.P’s and P.A.’s who are their direct reports.

The challenge to this model is the complete absence of functional leadership skills training in most medical school and residency programs. 30-50% of these physician’s time will likely be spend in leadership and management activities for which they are not prepared on graduation.

 

2) Service Driven: Concierge Medicine/direct care model

As the doctor shortage worsens, the typical patient will begin to notice they are only seen by a physician on rare occasion. A certain percentage will become willing to pay for that privilege. I suspect this will quickly grow to a huge new demand for concierge medicine services, where you pay a reasonable monthly fee to guarantee you are always seen by your doctor.

As the doctor shortage continues to worsens,  I believe a larger and larger segment of our population will become willing to pay to continue to see their primary care doctor as they do today and their only alternative will be concierge medicine.

The huge popularity of concierge medicine will have another important driving force – the office duties of the concierge medicine physician are exactly the opposite of those in example #1 above.

In a concierge medicine practice,  the physician is often seeing less than 15 patients a day, providing direct patient care and continuing to have meaningful personal relationships with their patients.

The challenge to the concierge medicine model is the absence of business training – and specifically marketing training – in most medical education programs. The concierge medicine model is inherently entrepreneurial and will always involve a fairly sophisticated marketing program to be successful.  This is not an insurmountable obstacle and I have yet to meet a newly board certified MD who understands the essentials of marketing.

==========

So if you have 10 years or more of practice ahead of you, I suggest you look at these models – the pyramid and concierge medicine – and get ready to be met by a fork in the road as the doctor shortage approaches. Will you choose to lead a team or build your cash/concierge medicine practice?

If you are leaning in one direction, I suggest you get started building your missing skill set – be that leadership or marketing. The wave of newly insured patients is coming.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with your thoughts on concierge medicine and how to handle the coming doctor shortage.

 

TAGGED:physician shortage
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Dental health
May 21, 2025
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
Dental health
May 21, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025

You Might also Like

Noisy Hospitals = Patient and Staff Distress

October 19, 2012

Healthcare Consumerism

June 28, 2011

Why Hospitals Need Content Management to Maximize Patient Experience

May 25, 2013

Why Don’t Hospitals Compete on Quality?

July 23, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?