Proactive Family Medicine
I recently took care of a patient while working in the hospital that got me thinking about proactive medicine. My patient’s story is one, honestly, I probably experience daily. A patient comes in sick and is wanting to get better. They are scared and willing to start to make changes to their life. However, they have neglected their health for the past 10, 20, 30, even 40 years. This patient was wanting to reverse some of the damage done but unfortunately the damage was already done. We can certainly work to optimize health at that point but the lung damage that is done is done.
Much of what we do in the hospital setting is reactive medicine. We treat people when they are sick and ignore them when they are “healthy.” This type of medicine is certainly warranted at times but what if we were more proactive in our approach to healthcare with our patient/provider relationship?
By being proactive we can optimize our health to have fewer episodes of needing reactive care. Waiting until we are sick is often much more expensive as well in the long run. By being proactive with our care and health leads to better health outcomes, leads us to feel better about ourself, and reduces anxiety and depression.
The great thing about direct primary care is we have the time to spend with our patients to develop a plan that works for them and their life. This allows us to achieve the goals the patient has for their life. Your membership also grants you 24/7 unlimited access via talk, text, or email and unlimited visits. This promotes proactive health as there are no copays or hidden fees for using the service. While we hear all the time that the health care industry is trying to prevent hospitalizations, if there are no visits, medications being ordered, or tests being done then they are not making money. With direct primary care we genuinely want to help people use the least amount of medication possible. Obviously not all medication is bad but it should not be the go to solution in every case. With direct primary care it is our goal to care for the patient and allow them to be less reliable on medication, ultimately resulting in healthier patients and saving the patients money.
People often ask if they really need to see a provider if they are healthy. We say absolutely. Our goal is to work with the patient to keep them at their peak health. Early detection of a disease process or abnormal lab values can greatly improve outcomes. It is our hope at Maple Leaf Health and Wellness that you are being proactive about your health. If you are in need of help in your health journey, we would love to help you.