This quote comes from an article written by Jeanne Pinder and you can find it here. The article is called Urgent care will see you now, but be careful and it basically shreds the poor care given by urgent cares staffed by unsupervised APPs. I worked in an urgent care right before starting my DPC practice. I can tell you that there is a 50/50 shot you are getting terrible care. (Part of the inspiration for the video above). I remember two doctors who were horrible with major stains on their licenses and I also remember a rogue PA who was beyond dangerous. Pinder’s concerns are real. The stories of poor care in her piece are brutal. But there is also these highlights:
- Two-week wait to see her primary care provider
- “Patients per hour per provider” has become the metric for getting paid
- Drive for profits has changed the nature of the industry
- Urgent care facilities still charge patients as if a physician were present. The combination of cheap labor, high profits, and high demand helps explain the boom in urgent care centers across the United States
Obviously you know what I think would resolve this, right? Interestingly enough, so does Pinder!
One solution for easy access to care is direct primary care, which doesn’t take insurance, but instead charges patients a monthly membership fee that covers all their primary care.
She seems to love the model. And a shout out to my friends Jeff Gold and Ryan Neuhofel for being mentioned.
Overall, a very nice article that should shake some people up. What we have out there for urgent care clinics and telemedicine is scary. Patients need a DPC doctor.