Do doctors still make house calls? Yes, they do! Now through direct primary care.
Do you remember scenes in Leave It to Beaver or The Brady Bunch where a parent called their family doctor for a sick child, and the doctor arrived at their doorstep moments later? In the “old days” (fifty years or so ago) it was common to call your local doc and have them come to you. However, the number of doctors making house calls has gone down over the years, despite the fact that most medical needs can be addressed without you having to go to a clinic or hospital.
Why don’t as many doctors make house calls anymore?
In a study published by the National Library of Medicine, doctor house calls are important because they make primary care accessible for people who are sick or can’t move easily. Nowadays, you can receive meals, groceries, and just about anything you need delivered right to your home. However, factors like large patient loads and doctors not being paid enough for home visits mean less access to this service.
Another reason is that insurance companies restrict where and when patients can be treated. This encourages medical providers to base their services on insurance coverage rather than what is most convenient for patients.
But without access to doctor house calls, many sick or injured people delay going to the doctor. Meanwhile, their conditions worsen. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, people use ambulances and emergency rooms to access basic care, leading to increased hospitalization, readmission, and highly expensive medical costs.
Without the option for a doctor home visit, patients also wait days or weeks to get in to a doctor and spend time in the office waiting to be seen. They also risk contamination from other sick patients at clinics and hospitals.
These problems can be avoided with access to doctor house calls.
**Thankfully, doctor house calls are making a comeback!
Why there is still hope for doctor house calls…
Many medical providers today have noticed a gap in affordable and accessible healthcare—and they are stepping up to fill it! But this time, doctor house calls address ongoing primary care rather than focusing only sudden medical needs. Now you can save time, money, and stress by staying home and having the doctor come to you.
How are these medical professionals managing it? It’s thanks to a healthcare model that is coming back strong. The model is called Direct Primary Care (DPC).
Direct Primary Care is a membership that gives you direct access to primary care providers. Direct primary care members may pay a reasonable monthly fee for 24/7 telehealth access. These services are usually provided by licensed physician assistants and nurse practitioners to address your everyday health questions.
We live in a hyper-inflated medical pricing world where insurance is involved. Direct primary care removes insurance as the middleman, giving you greater freedom regarding where and when you receive healthcare, and at what cost. They may help you get the best possible treatment at the best possible price.
It’s not insurance, so there is no in-network or out-of-network. It’s all about finding the best and most cost-effective treatment for what you need. It’s like a breath of fresh air!
Who offers direct primary care and doctor house calls?
Alive & Well, located in Southern Utah, is one such direct primary care practice. Growing up, Founder J.R. Martin watched his father, a medical doctor in rural Utah, make doctor home visits with his black bag in tow.
J.R. witnessed a caring relationship between his father and patients. After earning two master's degrees and becoming a certified physician assistant, J.R. became frustrated by the increasing industrialization and lack of personalized care in our healthcare system. He founded Alive & Well to provide the same level of quality care his father gave back when he made doctor home visits.
Today, if a house call is needed, Alive & Well medical providers may offer home visits. However, they can usually take care of your needs even quicker by phone or video chat.
Empowering local businesses through direct primary
Alive & Well has chosen to support local business owners by offering affordable healthCARE to employees. Small to medium-sized businesses are able to provide a valuable health benefit for employees while saving the business a significant amount of money.
Hundreds of employees are thrilled with Alive & Well healthCARE services, and it’s not hard to see why…Imagine having 24/7 access whenever you need help or medical advice. And it isn’t some automated voice message machine where you have to listen to…This is a real person who can respond to your needs immediately. And you don’t even have to leave leave the comfort of your own home.
So in answer to the question, “Do doctors still make house calls?” at Alive & Well, the answer is, “Yes!”
In fact, they recognize that there are situations in which it is better for an injured or sick person to stay right where they are so help can come to them.
You deserve affordable and convenient healthCARE just as much as the Weavers and the Bradys did fifty years ago. 😊
Sources:
Jing Yan Seah. National Library of Medicine, “Barriers to Making House Calls by Primary Care Physicians and Solutions: A Literature Review” Accessed March 2023. Link to article.
American Association of Medical Colleges, “House Call Medicine Makes a Comeback” Accessed March 2023. Link to article.