What is primary care?
In theory, it’s a long-term relationship between a healthcare practitioner and a patient encompassing preventative health practices, acute illness, and chronic disease.
In practice, the insurance system has created an environment where physicians are incentivized to see more patients in less time, and the doctor-patient relationship is suffering because of it.
Family physician Julie Foucher, MD (@juliefoucher), talks with CrossFit CEO Eric Roza (@rozaeric) about the current state of primary care and why the direct primary care model gives hope for the future.
Comments on Health Tip: The State of Primary Care
Only those with money can afford Direct Primary Care?
The issue I have with medicine is they have become collectors of personal health data for the government, for the insurers, and others. That's turning away patients, especially men, who do not want to generate more personal data every time they step in to the doctor's office, so they only go in for an urgent or emergent need. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to get private medical treatment--would it even be possible to get some care anonymously--come in and get your stitches and pay cash--they don't even need to know your identity. I would join direct primary care if they could agree to take zero health data and send zero data to the government.
Very concerned with the CF push for direct primary care with genomics (precision care) as the method. Direct primary care is likely to exclude persons earning less than $60,000 a year and especially for those earning less than $35,000 a year. Evidence supports that persons of poverty and/or lower-income status are associated with adverse health outcomes such as shorter life expectancy, higher infant mortality, and higher death rates for the 14 leading causes of death. It would be my sincere hope that CF voice concerns for greater health equity to the public, athletes, and our government representatives.
Your points are fair, but I think CF, with its emphasis on fitness and proper nutrition, is doing quite a bit now. Just as CF's economic model requires a relatively high per month fee from members that makes it out of reach for many, DPC will require the same approach. I am not aware of any health care system anywhere, whether government or private, that can change this dynamic.
Health Tip: The State of Primary Care
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