The Anti-Aging Side of Concierge Medicine Boosts Patient Retention For The Modern Medical Home

ATLANTA, GA, May 17, 2013 (Press-News.org) The Concierge Medicine Research Collective (The Collective), the data collection and research arm of Concierge Medicine Today, asked concierge [and direct care] physicians across the U.S. about what makes their practice so popular. An analysis of this survey by The Collective has concluded that three out of every eight concierge medicine [and direct care] doctors are incorporating anti-aging solutions inside their practice. Concierge [and direct care] doctors are incorporating a vast number of added-value services for patients such as: Heart burn and gastrointestinal disorders; B12 injections; Vitamin deficiencies; Hormone balancing therapies; Mole checks; Testosterone injections; Medically supervised fat loss programs and a diverse collection of other wellness-focused and anti-aging solutions.

As a direct care or concierge physician, the true value of a practice revolves around the service the doctor and staff provide 24/7 and the relationship they have with each patient. Concierge medicine [and direct care] doctors work tirelessly at this so as to increase the amount patients who walk through the door each and every week. This increases patient retention year after year which The Collective has found since 2009 to present to average between 90% and 97% patient retention inside a concierge doctor's office. So why are patients choosing concierge medicine and direct care year after year across the country in droves? Interviews and surveys from both doctors and patients conducted by Concierge Medicine Today say it's because of the service they provide, the transparent pricing structure and the relationship with a 24/7 physician who doesn't have to look at a chart to know their name. But keeping concierge medicine patients coming back healthier and happier year after year can be a significant challenge if the right relationship and service just isn't there.

"I give a lot of B12 injections and testosterone injections for those who need it," says Dr. Sarah Mildred Gamble, D.O. of Greenwich, CT who runs a thriving concierge medicine practice. "I also do a lot of in office procedures like mole checks and removal, trigger point injections ... and then there is my Botox/fillers appointments too."

The Collective has also found that the concierge medicine and direct primary care clinics that are introducing anti-aging service and a medical home philosophy in their local markets are seeing patient foot traffic double or even triple in each and every age group from six to sixty.

"We learned that three out of every eight concierge doctors are incorporating unique anti-aging and medical home solutions into their practice across the U.S. from 2012 to 2013," says Michael Tetreault, Editor of Concierge Medicine Today. "These [concierge and direct care] doctors are by choice and nature, treating nearly 90% of their patient's healthcare concerns, ailments and needs each year. But that relationship can get repetitious year after year so doctors are adapting. They're hearing what's successful from their own patients and finding out what's appealing to their audience and local marketplace because the concierge [and direct care] doctors are actually communicating with their patients more often now than ever before.

For over a decade now, concierge medicine has had a love-hate relationship with the public.

"The public loves the idea or loathes it," adds Tetreault. "If they truly understand it, there's nothing that quite compares to it. But it's an educational curve we're overcoming in the marketplace nationally at CMT (Concierge Medicine Today and it's research arm, The Concierge Medicine Research Collective). Since the election in November 2012, we've seen a tremendous increase in the amount of interest, inquiries and physician searches across the U.S. People are concerned about the Affordable Care Act, access to their physician and unsure about costs."

In 2012 and 2013, Concierge Medicine Today reports that it's search engine, DOC FINDER, received more prospective patient inquiries from people across the U.S. [rural and metro areas] looking to find a concierge and direct care doctor. In fact, CMT reported earlier this year that the amount of estimated concierge and direct care physicians [roughly 5,000] across the U.S. are simply not geographically widespread or abundant enough across the U.S. to fulfill all the prospective patient inquiries coming in. Our data as well as The Collective's marketplace experts tell us that the states that are weakest from a concierge physician service population perspective are in areas such as: Hawaii; Idaho; Iowa; Mississippi; Maine; New Hampshire and South Dakota.

"The anti-aging and medical home delivery model fits well inside a concierge medicine [and direct care] practice," says Tetreault. "The nutritional component, the wellness solutions, the anti-aging and team-focused health care delivery professionals led by a concierge [or direct care] doctor are providing comprehensive and continuous health care services to patients year after year that they simply can't find elsewhere. This combination is increasing patient retention and patient interest in the concept. The goal here is healthy outcomes for patients followed by increased patient retention outcomes for the physician year after year."

"Many of my female patients choose for me to their annual gyn [gynecology] exam, but those who have their own gynecologist follow with them," writes Dr. Alexa Faraday to Concierge Medicine Today. Dr. Faraday is a Board Certified Physician in Internal Medicine operating a successful concierge medicine practice based in Baltimore, MD. "What I found interesting was that when I left my old practice -- I had a 10% Medicare population. That fraction has grown to almost half, suggesting to me that some of the folks most interested in this model are older patients."

Dr. Shira Miller runs a Concierge Holistic Medical Practice in southern California that focuses specifically on anti-aging and Menopause. So popular infact, she's become 'Facebook's Most Popular Menopause Doctor.'

"I work to ensure 100% of patients... visit at least once per year," said Dr. Miller. "When Mother Nature quits, I'm here to help you keep your [the patient's] mind, body, and sex life healthy as you age."

Until just a few years ago, people mostly based choosing a doctor on the personal recommendation of a trusted friend or relative. Now with the advent of social media, word of mouth marketing is changing from a spoken word referral to a social media link referral. To find a concierge medicine or direct care doctor near you, visit http://www.ConciergeMedicineToday.com.

About Concierge Medicine Today

Concierge Medicine Today (CMT), is the premier news and multi-media organization that is the industry's oldest and most respected national trade publication for the concierge medicine and direct primary care marketplace. Our web site is the online destination for people and physicians to go deeper into the top stories driving the conversation and generating the national buzz about concierge healthcare and direct primary care. For more information, visit: http://www.ConciergeMedicineToday.com.

About The Concierge Medicine Research Collective

The Concierge Medicine Research Collective is an independent health care research and data collection depository of the multimedia news and trade publication, Concierge Medicine Today based in Atlanta, GA. The Collective serves as an educational resource on all things concierge medicine and is geared towards those businesses, lobbyists, physician associations, health care advocacy groups and general consumers of healthcare who want to learn more about information available on the topic of concierge medicine. The Collective works in partnership with Universities, physicians, associations, businesses, individuals and even Graduate medical Students to further advance the educational awareness and facts surrounding unanswered questions about concierge medicine care in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit: http://www.AskTheCollective.org or http://www.ConciergeMedicineToday.com.