We are in Rhode Island and have been offering services like this for many years. We are working on spreading across the country. We charge 25 – 30.00 per month…it is an incredible way to service the patient and still offer a structure that works for the practice. http://www.healthaccessri.com

http://www.alternative-therapies.com/at/web_pdfs/0708_interview.pdf

Best,
Marcia

Michael Milliken and Andy Grove had the resoources to invent a very advance form of concierge medicine when they were both treated for prostate cancer. What they did is actually a foundation for a practice of medicine called evidential where you don’t dedicate yourself to a prescribed method of care and partner with intelligent people, e.g. doctors to invest a treatment plan of health initiative for yourself that grows out of inquiry and research that draws on many different perspectives and scientific reports.

Years ago, after taking Flores first introductory program, the Action Workshop, I sent for his doctoral dissertation and wrote him a letter themed as my inquiry into what could happen if medical records could talk.

Chauncey has added to my thought and reminded me of some clear distinctions in various pieces of his writing that relate to wisdom of managing complex information and now his architecture in another entry here about the background and qualifications of a “speaker” and the speaker’s proficiency as a master, virtuoso or proficient person.

The practice of medicine versus the practice of managing good health are two other distinctions that are key.
The concierge physician as a master who is proficient in both provides much more that the breadth of most of our health care system in the US that has become a prescriptive culture.

Now through the filter of sustainability, many of us are learning that prescriptive practice does not work if you factor in multiple needs, e.g. the sustainable view of the triple bottom line. This factor is something I believe will increase in use as a filter in medicine and I am now giving that considerable thought in the new book I am writing.

Nice to see old friends here, e.g. like Terry Rosenberg.

I now live in Park City UT and welcome all my friends to visit. I am in the process of planning a two month trip early 2009 for a few months to Israel.

Chauncey, I do plan to catch up on your progress with Carecyte to see how this concept fits with my book and other things I am thinking about.

All the best,
Lavinia

cheers, Thesis!!

Nice post. The concierge physician services have been around since the late 90s or 2000 here in Florida. It is a very interesting approach to healthcare and certainly a way to get more attention from your physician. I also looked into doing this with pharmacy by offering private pharmacy consultations. Unfortunately, most people still look at their pharmacist as the guy at the drive-thru window that hands out their antibiotics. However, with patients that are on numerous medications from various doctors a private consultation really could work. The pharmacist could talk to the individual and their physicians and develop a better medication plan perhaps reducing the number of medications a patient is taking. It would be quite possible to remove a hunderd dollars or so a month from some patients drug costs. Unfortunately, there wasn’t too much market for such a service. Maybe down the road people will be more interested.