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Originally Posted On: https://www.tmshealthandwellness.com/concierge-medicine-doctor-orange-county-newport-beach/

 

CONCIERGE MEDICINE

What is Concierge Medicine?

Concierge Medicine, also called retainer medicine, offers a higher degree of attention and an enhanced level of care compared to traditional Family Medicine offered through a Primary Care practice.

This high quality of service is possible because, unlike in a traditional Primary Care practice, where a doctor comes in and out of the office and back and forth between patients, Concierge Medicine always offers a dedicated one-on-one appointment with your doctor, where you are their sole focus of attention, and they are not bouncing around between patients.

The History of Concierge Medicine

Concierge Medicine is a relatively new addition to the world of modern medicine. Practices started opening in Seattle during the 1990s, and between 2010 and 2014, the number of concierge medicine practices more than doubled from 5000 to 12000 across the United States.

This type of medicine is gaining popularity as more and more individuals decide they want more control over their treatments and a more personal touch regarding their health and well-being.

What about a Primary Care Practice?

Appointments at primary care practices are often severely limited in scheduling because insurance takes a long time to clear and authorize appointments. This restricts when you can schedule an appointment, and often you have to wait weeks before you can go into the doctor’s office. For many patients, just getting an appointment is a struggle, but the problems do not stop there.

Have you ever finally gotten an appointment, gone in to see your doctor, and had to sit around in a waiting room for what seems like forever to be seen?

Have you ever felt frustrated that even when you are finally fetched by the nurse and told to wait in the doctor’s office, it can take quite a while until the doctor actually comes in? Even then, after all that waiting, they seem to only attend to you for a couple of minutes, then they are out the door again and onto another patient.

Communication is often minimal between the practitioner and patient and can leave you unsatisfied with more questions than you came in with.

This kind of frustration is almost universal among patients and nearly synonymous with Family Medicine and primary care practices. A US study found that 61% of tertiary hospital patients waited between an hour and a half to two hours to be seen, and 36% spent less than 5 minutes with the doctor after that wait; Concierge medicine is the solution to solve these headaches and frustrations.

Why is Concierge Medicine Beneficial?

Concierge medicine offers unique benefits because it is considered a cut above Family Medicine. Offering a dedicated window where the doctor has no other patients, this type of medicine allows for a more enhanced level of care and time where you can ask questions and make the most effective use of your time in the office. It can be considered the “VIP” experience of medicine.

Additionally, because this type of medicine is a cash-based service, you do not have to jump through the hoops set up by insurance companies, and it can be seen as soon as your schedule allows. Concierge medicine may be right for you if you want to be seen immediately without the hassle of scheduling and long waits.

Dedicated, distraction-free time allows your doctor to understand your symptoms and their causes fully. This knowledge is imperative for your doctor to have so that they can create a course of action and treatment plan personalized to your specific needs and desired end goals.

Who specifically is it for?

Concierge Medicine is for patients who want more control over their time in a doctor’s office. From scheduling and administrative assistance to better and more personal interactions and communication with the practitioner, this style of medicine has many benefits.

Patients who want a more personalized approach to their treatment and a closer relationship with their doctor should research concierge medicine and learn how the higher level of care can better benefit them.

What do we offer here at TMS?

TMS Health and Wellness primarily specializes in homeopathic treatments for mental disorders. However, we also offer accommodations for patients who desire to engage in a concierge medicine relationship.

Doctor Eppele, in addition to running her TMS practice, also offers concierge medicine care relationships for patients who desire a better standard of treatment and want attentive, personal interactions with their doctor.

During your first consultation, we will work with you to develop a customized treatment plan suited specifically to your needs. We do this because we believe that there is no such thing as a one size fits all solution to mental health.

Concierge appointments typically range from an hour to an hour and a half. We have found this time optimal for a complete understanding of where a patient is coming from and how to move forward with a unique treatment regimen.

What Does a Treatment Plan Consist of Like?

Your plan will be developed from both a traditional primary care perspective and a mental health perspective.

Utilizing Dr. Eppele’s specialized Homeopathic treatment experience, we consider your micronutrient levels, take hormonal tests, and provide adrenal support, all based on your specific needs to get your body detoxed and to a point where it can begin the natural healing process.

To treat mental health, we use the latest in Neurofeedback (EEG) technology to understand your brain and its chemistry and determine what other treatment avenues will be most effective based on your pre-dispositions. We also utilize a functional MRI to track progress and better offer a customized treatment experience.

Is Concierge Medicine Right For You?

If you are unhappy with your current healthcare provider’s long wait times and lack of focus during appointments and treatments and are interested in the higher level of enhanced care offered by concierge medicine: contact TMS Health and Wellness today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Eppele and set up a personalized treatment plan so that we can take better care of you, and start you on the journey to recovery.