Are Direct Primary Care Patients Too Spoiled?

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I recently saw this article called Average Waiting Times for Common Medical Procedures in the United States – What the Latest Data Shows and I thought some of the numbers were interesting. First, waiting over 23 days in the US to see your family doctor is insane.

THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN WITH DIRECT PRIMARY CARE!

The article also showed this:

It takes a month to get in for a new patient visit? Wow.

THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN WITH DIRECT PRIMARY CARE!

The article has more stats to peruse if you are interested. Are things that bad here? Well, I guess it is all perspective. For Canada, the stats are MORE alarming:

  • Neurosurgery: 49.9 weeks
  • Orthopaedic Surgery: 48.6 weeks
  • Otolaryngology: 43.8 weeks
  • Plastic Surgery: 41.5 weeks
  • Gynaecology: 40.6 weeks
  • General Surgery: 31.8 weeks
  • Ophthalmology: 20.8 weeks
  • Urology: 25.7 weeks
  • Cardiovascular Surgery (Elective): 19.6 weeks
  • Internal Medicine: 21.2 weeks
  • Medically Assisted Dying: 0 days.

I am really tiptoeing around the politics of socialized medicine here. That is not the purpose of this blog. But I guess if that is your thing, then why would you be doing Direct Primary Care, which is the antithesis to socialized medicine?

My point in showing you these statistics is to prove that the free market, of which DPC is a part, brings these numbers so far down that it is not even fair to compare. It is also more affordable for patients and cheaper for the system. Oh, and patients and doctors are so much happier.

The first article about the US concludes that the reason for these high wait times are:

Core Drivers

  • Physician workforce shortages: projected deficit of up to 86,000 doctors by 2036.
  • Aging population: More chronic disease increases specialty visits and imaging demand.
  • Hospital consolidation: Fewer independent practices → fewer appointment openings.
  • Radiology shortages: Both imaging acquisition and interpretation are bottlenecks.
  • Seasonal surges: Flu, RSV, and COVID peaks overwhelm EDs.

DPC is the workaround for many of these stated core drivers! Why? Doctors enjoy DPC so they don’t quit, retire, or kill themselves. We are not owned by hospitals, and our independence allows us to provide great customer service. We also refer less to specialists because we have the time to figure things out and care for the patient ourselves.

If all this doesn’t prove that Direct Primary Care is superior to everything else, then I don’t know what will.

Are DPC patients spoiled? Yes. And that is what is so awesome about it.

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About Douglas Farrago, MD

Dr. Farrago is a retired family physician based in Forest, Virginia. Since 2021, he has run DPCnews.com, a leading resource for the Direct Primary Care (DPC) movement. He is the author of three best-selling books on Direct Primary Care: The Official Guide to Starting Your Own Direct Primary Care Practice The Direct Primary Care Doctor’s Daily Motivational Journal Slowing the Churn in Direct Primary Care (While Also Keeping Your Sanity) In 2016, Dr. Farrago conceived the idea for the Direct Primary Care Alliance and co-founded the organization alongside other pioneering DPC physicians. He is widely recognized as a leading expert in the DPC model and frequently lectures to medical students, residents, and practicing physicians on how to successfully start and run their own DPC practices.Dr. Farrago sold his Direct Primary Care practice in October 2020 but continues to receive care there as a patient.