How Can Specialists Transition to Direct Care?

As a physician, advanced practitioner, or administrator in a specialty practice, you may have new opportunities to customize patient care and payment methods. While the concierge model is often associated with internal medicine and primary care, there are now more options available beyond the familiar franchisors like MDVIP, SignatureMD, and Castle Connolly.

Many primary care private clinics opt to join a large franchisor for improved income and better quality of life. However, most of these physicians are not trained in integrative health or functional medicine. If you’re a specialist with certification and a willingness to support patients through integrative health, consider a customized practice conversion or episodes of care program.

Specialists can benefit from concierge care and other hybrid models too, without giving up control or income to a franchisor. You don’t need to convince every physician in a multi-practitioner clinic to switch to concierge care. Test out different options to see what works best for your patients.

Which Specialties Have the Highest Value in Direct Specialty Care?

Although most specialists continue to operate under the traditional fee-for-service model, there are twelve medical specialties that have the potential for successful practice modeling using hybrid insurance and membership programs.

1. Cardiology (cardiovascular and heart disease)
2. Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
3. Gastroenterology
4. Gynecology
5. Neurology
6. Oncology/Hematology
7. Pain Medicine and Pain Management
8. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
9. Pulmonology
10. Rheumatology
11. Sports Medicine (Orthopedic Surgery)
12. Psychiatry

Questions you need to ask before starting a Direct Specialty Care Program

Are you and your fellow practitioners equipped with the necessary training, experience, and desire to provide top-quality care to your patients?

Have you thought about implementing a team approach to care, which could include health coaches and group medical appointments to better serve your patients?

Perhaps you’d be interested in creating cash-based programs that focus on specific health conditions, also known as “episodes of care.” But before you dive in, consider whether you have a large and loyal patient base, including a significant percentage of patients who visit regularly throughout the year.

Have you evaluated the demographics of your patient population to determine whether a model of care that does not rely solely on insurance and CMS could work?

Take a look at your location’s government census data and the zip codes of your active patients.

Did you know that multi-physician specialty practices can offer various care delivery and remuneration models? This means that different practitioners within the same practice can test out different approaches to see what works best for the larger practice over time.

Are you familiar with the many customizable care delivery and business models available for your practice?

By leveraging processes, technology, and financial modeling and forecasting, you can explore what’s possible and make informed decisions about how to provide the highest level of care to your patients.

Conclusion

In summary, the time is now to explore new practice business models and better serve your patients. The opportunity to provide higher-quality outcomes could be within reach by shifting toward a smarter, more innovative approach.

By leveraging The VIOS Clinic’s solutions and resources, clinics can create a better environment for health care delivery that is both cost-effective and tailored to meet the needs of their specific population and practitioners.

We believe in supporting independent physicians as they build and grow their businesses while also ensuring improved outcomes across all levels of patient care and satisfaction.

If you are curious about how making a shift may affect you or your clinic as a whole, please contact us at [email protected] to learn more about your options.