When choosing a medical house call provider, it is important you take your time to find the right fit for you. When making this decision, many factors play a role – referrals from friends, provider reputation and cost. It is useful to prepare questions ahead of time so that you know what to ask potential healthcare providers.
With this in mind, let’s dive deeper into specific ways that you can you select the right provider for you.
Qualifications: First and foremost, you want to ensure the provider is qualified and knowledgeable. Ask them about their credentials and their history of practicing medicine. When checking on a healthcare provider’s qualifications, make sure the provider is board certified in your state or region.
Provider Reputation: It is also helpful to assess the provider’s quality by looking at customer reviews from former patients. This provides new patients with insights about the quality of care.
“Generally speaking, a firm with a long history and lots of patient reviews can be the mark of a high-quality provider.”
Treatment Scope: You should also inquire about the type of treatments they offer as well as what types of medications they can prescribe (if applicable). This allows the patient to understand precisely what the medical house call provider can deliver or not. Look for providers who can provide a wide range of services including diagnostics, treatment plans and ability to prescribe medication – treating a wide range of conditions.
Fees: Many in-home medical care services promote low fees but neglect to explain to patients that the fee does not cover most therapeutic procedures, from testing to blood draws. These bait and switch providers often charge two to three times the stated fees once all the procedures are completed. Instead look for providers with a “flat fee” policy to ensure patients know what they will pay in advance.
Speed of medical delivery services: When someone is in urgent medical need, time is of the essence. Many providers do not commit to how quickly a provider can be dispatched so it is unclear how fast the patient can be treated. Look for providers that can commit to a specific time that is fast and convenient for the patient.
Follow-up visits: Additionally, investigate the provider’s policy on follow-up visits or referrals when needed. It’s important to ensure that your provider takes time with each patient during the initial visit and for a follow-up call to ensure the patient is on the mend. Having a provider who is concerned about the patient post visit makes a big difference in how successful treatment will be.
Medical house calls as a service are seeing a resurgence because it offers high quality, personalized care for patients that cannot be provided by telemedicine or urgent care centers.
