Androgenix Blog

By definition, a concierge is one who assists. Concierge medicine, therefore, is an approach that helps you achieve optimal health. The staff at Adrogenix Advanced Health and Wellness in West Palm Beach, FL take this one step further and believe healthcare should also help you live your best life. It is for this reason that we pledge to be at your side even as we help you revise habits and nourish your body in new ways.

How Does Concierge Medicine Work?

This approach to healthcare is based on a retainer, paid monthly or annually, in exchange for highly-customized and personalized care. The healthcare industry is collectively moving away from fee-for-service payment models to provide a higher quality of care to patients. This is where value-based care becomes significant, in which providers and patients learn to establish more meaningful relationships.

You might be wondering how such relationships are possible, especially if you’ve ever waited weeks or even months to see a provider. Then, once you’re in the office, you may have waited up to an hour just to be seen. Concierge care eliminates both frustrations by reducing the number of patients seen in a day. Appointments last between 30 minutes and an hour, ending only after your concerns have been fully addressed and your questions have been answered.

A Radical Approach to Hospitality

Hospitality is not a word you often hear within the healthcare industry, and there’s a reason for that. A study from the University of Wisconsin found most patients only see their providers for 15 minutes per visit twice a year. Providers who use the concierge care approach, however, spend an average of 35 minutes per visit and see their patients about four times per year.

A survey published by AARP likewise confirmed that people who participate in concierge care programs are more satisfied as a whole. Around 90% of patients reported they were happy with the care they received compared to just 67% from traditional health care. And nearly every participant, 97%, believed their providers took more of a personal interest in their outcomes versus less than 33% of regular practice patients.

The Patient Perspective

The idea behind concierge care is that you get on-demand access to your provider thanks to the service fee you pay. This model is ideal for a number of patients, including:

• Busy professionals with tight schedules
• People who want to prevent health concerns before they arise
• Those embarking on lifestyle changes who want step-by-step guidance

Our staff understands that by eschewing non-traditional appointment availability, we can expand the services we offer. These include exploring a range of treatment options, following-up on your progress via phone calls, and delivering the education you need to be an active participant in your healthcare choices. We want to help you be a consumer of healthcare rather than a silent patient.

The Traditional Medicine Disconnect

One of the greatest obstacles posed by traditional care is the disconnect between providers and patients. Data from a survey conducted by The Harris Poll found that discussions between these two groups don’t focus on the underlying factors – including social support, family obligations, and employment – that account for 80 percent of health. Even routine factors like diet and sleep habits are ignored because of time constraints.

Fifteen minutes simply aren’t enough to identify where health and life goals intersect. Not surprisingly, patients want to have these conversations. Around 45% of poll participants said they wished their providers would take more time for broader health discussions. Younger adults, between the ages of 18 and 24, said they wanted to talk about the way certain behaviors influence health outcomes.

How Concierge Care Is Different

Rather than cutting you off in the middle of a conversation or making you feel like you’ve already reached your allotted time, concierge care helps empower you as the patient. This means no longer feeling embarrassed to ask questions and staying at the office until you completely understand the treatment plan designed for you.

In turn, we will take the time necessary to explain our role in your care. We’ll sit down and properly listen to your concerns. Our discussions can cover as many facets of health as you want. In fact, we encourage open dialogue so we can get to know you as a person rather than a “patient.” We’ll likely ask open-ended questions to elicit more information, and by the time you leave, you’ll feel like a member of our extended family.

Frequently Asked Questions

Some patients want to know what their fees are used for, and we can answer with one word: convenience. We as a society increasingly need and want convenient services that match our schedules. Our goal is to provide stellar service to people who want full guidance on their path to greater health. You might think of us as your personal quarterbacks.

What Is the History of Concierge Care?

Providers started the concept of concierge care in the 1990s in response to what they believed were unmet patient needs. The first practice was founded in Seattle, and it charged retainer fees on a per-family basis. The idea quickly traversed the nation as word of patient satisfaction spread; a practice in Florida that opened in 2002 is credited as being the first to exclusively employ the concierge model.

How Is Concierge Care Different from Traditional Medicine?

The former emphasizes each individual patient so they receive the highest standard of care. With the latter, a single provider may be responsible for between 2,000 and 4,000 patients. This leaves little room for patients to have the powerful conversations they need.

Concierge medicine also focuses on keeping you well rather than waiting until you feel sick. And when you do feel unwell, we strive to understand why. Amino acid deficiencies, for instance, can cause concerns like memory loss and anxiety that may be hard for traditional practices to identify.

Does This Approach Help Prevent Disease?

We can answer this question with a resounding yes. Our providers never try to mask symptoms. Instead, we look for potential warning signs that at the present may not present difficulty but could, in the future, compromise your health. We’ll start with bloodwork that can be used to assess your overall health and help us map a course of action.

We’ll also rely on information provided directly by you. You may have symptoms you’re not even aware of, or you may have experienced them for so long that they now feel “normal.” Difficulty sleeping is a common symptom often considered a routine part of aging, but it may indicate a hormonal imbalance. Other symptoms we’ll look for include:

• Weight gain
• Inability to concentrate
• Depression and/or anxiety
• Low energy levels

Reduce Your Risks

Identifying these symptoms at an earlier stage can prevent more serious problems from developing. A chronic hormonal imbalance, for example, puts you at risk for serious medical conditions, including heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes.

How Is This Service Better Than a Fee-Per-Service Approach?

We’ve already discussed the ways in which concierge care means more time between you and the provider. This approach is also much more personalized, allowing us to develop a plan that is made for you rather than one based on what the average patient needs. Our weight loss program, for instance, provides guidance in which we work with you to ensure results.

Reasons People Choose Concierge Care

Some people choose concierge medicine after a moment of reckoning. They may have a jarring experience that forces them to consider their decisions and how they might enjoy a healthier way of life. Others reach a milestone birthday and think more seriously about aging. This can mark a time when previously untended symptoms take on more significance.

A scare may also come from someone else’s health lapse. Perhaps a friend suddenly passes away or a parent gets sick. When illness hits close to home, it can reverberate in a way that puts one’s own health into perspective. And it can help you decide that now is the time to embark on a new journey, one in which your health and well-being become priorities.

A Feeling of Appreciation

Others choose this approach because it makes them feel more valued. No approach to medicine is perfect – that’s why it’s called a “practice” – but traditional methods increasingly leave patients feeling isolated. Research shows that patients of concierge medicine not only feel more satisfied but more appreciated as well. This comes from more face-time with their providers as well as a sense that they can rely on their healthcare team.

They’re High Achievers

Some people who have always taken health seriously seek concierge care because it keeps pace with their own high-achievement lifestyles. These are the patients who don’t want to wait until they’re engulfed in illness to be healthy. Instead, they want a true partner in self-care, whether they seek to lose weight or want to be part of the latest treatments and technologies.

If you’re the type of informed consumer who likes to take charge or who wants to live as long and as healthful as possible, the concierge approach is for you. We can, for instance, perform a complete analysis of your body composition to identify steps you can take right now to rejuvenate your health.

They Still Seek Help

How many times have you heard of a friend or relative going to a provider and leaving without answers? This is just part of the frustration that can stem from a 15-minute appointment in which little information gets shared. And meanwhile, that person continues to experience the same symptoms without relief.

Concierge medicine seeks to uncover the underlying issue of a symptom. We will be an advocate for you, seeking to learn about your lifestyle, diet, and medications as we find new ways to treat some of the most common maladies. Disrupted hormone levels, for instance, can be the culprits behind any number of symptoms, and optimizing them can help you feel younger, stronger, and altogether more vibrant.

No More Frustration

Concierge care can alleviate the frustration you may be feeling even now. Seeking help for a health concern shouldn’t increase your fatigue; rather, it should fill you with a sense of hope that the future can be even better than the present.

A New Path to Health

You don’t have to be content with the status quo when it comes to healthcare. We encourage you to try concierge care, an innovative approach that focuses on you. Whether you want to lose weight, optimize nutrition, or simply learn how to feel your best, this model can help. Schedule your consultation today by calling Adrogenix Advanced Health and Wellness in West Palm Beach, FL.