How to Choose a Direct Primary Care Provider in ABQ

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Are you a business owner or employer looking for the best Direct Primary Care provider in Albuquerque? Attract the best talent in town with this affordable and accessible healthcare plan!

It is a known fact that the success of your business lies in you and your employees’ efforts and contributions. You can provide them with the right tools and environment. Give them a reward system to make them happy and productive.

Your actions are essential as a business owner in Albuquerque. It is your responsibility to ensure the general well-being. It extends beyond compensation, perks, and monetary benefits. The health of your employees depends on the quality of care you give them. 

Besides health insurance, Direct Primary Care (DPC) can be good for you and your employees. Do you have a Direct Primary Care provider for your business, or are you looking for one? Here are a few tips to help you find a DPC provide

What is a Direct Primary Care provider?

A Direct Primary Care provider (DPC) offers medical check-ups regardless if your employees are sick or not. Services include diagnoses and prescription of medications. They also recommend appropriate medical management of minor diseases and injuries.

A Direct Primary Care provider does preventive care and chronic disease management. It is on top of immediate relief from common illnesses.

Your employees can enjoy seeing a Direct Primary Care provider, especially if they are at risk of certain diseases. A DPC provider advises your employees if they need to undergo screening or lab tests. It helps them identify any common health problems. And they can see potential illnesses that may affect their performance at work.

Your employees can also find supportive healthcare, especially if they are suffering from chronic diseases. Your employees may have high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney or heart diseases. A Direct Primary Care provider gives a long-term plan of care for your employees.

Why is a Direct Primary Care provider important to you and your employees?

1. Your employees may live healthier and shy away from untimely death. 

Primary care providers may prolong the life of your employees due to preventive care. Primary care providers lowered fatalities based on a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. This study showed an increase of about ten providers for every 100,000 people reduces deaths by about 40%. Researchers noted a decrease by 0.9% to 1.4% among people with cancer and heart or lung diseases.

A DPC provider serves as a health advisor for your employees. They know the health history and medical condition of your employees. So, they are in the best position to give medical care and health teaching. Your employees receive the medical attention they need for them to meet their optimal functioning. 

2. You can save on healthcare and administrative cost.

The Direct Primary Care Coalition reported a reduced claims cost of 19.90% and hospital admissions of 25.54%. 

Since a DPC membership covers your employees, you get to pay a fixed amount with no copays. It means that no matter how many times they visit a DPC provider, you don’t have to shell out more money.

A Direct Primary Care provider lowers your costs of maintaining staff and work hours. You will not need a team to process claims and reimbursements.

Who are considered Direct Primary Care providers?

Your employees have different illnesses or medical conditions. A DPC facility or provider offers a wide array of healthcare services. It answers your employees’ needs. 

But, no one medical provider does all the job. A team of Direct Primary Care providers collaborates on the healthcare requirements of your employees.

Direct Primary Care providers manage the health of your employees and their families throughout the life stages – from birth to old age. It includes nurse providers and specialists in family medicine. Also included are internal medicine, gynecology/obstetrics, pediatrics, and geriatrics.

• Nurse providers have the right academic background and training. They have the essential practical experience in delivering DPC services. 
• Family medicine providers offer medical services for your employees. It extends to their families regardless of ages. They practice general medicine due to the nature of their clients. 
• Internal medicine providers are also called internists. They focus on the various internal organs and their specific medical conditions.
• Gynecologists and obstetricians play a role in the reproductive health of women. They are experts in the structures, functions, diseases, and sexual health of the female organs. Gynecologists perform the necessary screening like PAP smears. They recommend the appropriate medical management. It’s to prevent specific female disorders. 
• Pediatricians specialize in newborns, children, teenagers, and young adults aged 21 years old. 
• Geriatricians look after the health of people over 60 years old.

What are the qualities of an excellent Direct Primary Care provider?

Excellent clinical care is vital in your employees’ health and wellness. Yet, not all Direct Primary Care providers are alike. You must spot an excellent primary care provider for your money’s worth. 

The quality of care depends on the characteristics of a Direct Primary Care provider. Researchers suggested desirable attributes based on the Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence at John Hopkins in Baltimore. Some of these qualities are the following:

• A Direct Primary Care provider is foremost knowledgeable in the field of expertise. To help you know how knowledgeable a Direct Primary Care provider is, ask yourself some of these questions: 

• Where did the Direct Primary Care provider earn the medical degree? Did he/she pursue higher education?
• How many years was he/she in practice as a measure of practical cumulative knowledge? 
• Does he/she attend continuing learning sessions? Or does he/she take professional education programs to enhance his/her skills?
• A Direct Primary Care provider can make an excellent or accurate diagnosis. Are you familiar with the 90’s TV show about a young medical genius? Or the last decade’s TV show about a nasty but eccentric medical provider? They were both brilliant because they possessed the diagnostic acumen. They were skilled in identifying the root of the health problem. It’s like piecing together a medical puzzle.
• A Direct Primary Care provider communicates and gets along well with clients. The relationship is patient-centered. A Direct Primary Care provider actively listens and receives feedback from a client. Both Direct Primary Care provider and client work together to set the healthcare goal. They adjust depending on the client’s progress.
• A Direct Primary Care provider exhibits professionalism and humanism. A Direct Primary Care provider maintains a relationship that respects personal boundaries. At the same time, a humanistic Direct Primary Care provider possesses empathy. The Direct Primary Care provider recognizes that the relationship revolves around the client’s needs. They do not focus on just the disease. Compassion and consideration of the client’s well-being come first. It’s followed by the elimination of the disease.

A Direct Primary Care provider is passionate about caring for people. He/she values the relationship and shows concern for a client’s well-being on a long-term basis. He/she advocates for the client’s health and well-being. He/she also promotes disease prevention.

How do you find a Direct Primary Care provider in Albuquerque?

There are things to consider in finding a Direct Primary Care provider for your employees. Create a comparative table by searching online for Direct Primary Care providers in Albuquerque. You rate each Direct Primary Care provider based on eight factors to help you decide how to pick the right one. 1.

1. Location

There are about 20 Direct Primary Care providers in Albuquerque. Map it out and check out the nearest Direct Primary Care provider nearest your business. Chances are, most of your employees may also be residing near your business. Making your business the point of origin is still more workable. It’s better than mapping out where all your employees live.

2. Facility or physical environment:

Take a drive-by or ocular of the physical facility. Is there ample parking space? Check the lobby and restrooms if they are clean. Is the general ambiance comfortable and pleasant? If you are allowed to look into the therapy rooms, take a look at the condition of the medical equipment.

3. Staff

An extension of the facility is the DPC medical team. Are they as friendly and accommodating as you expect them to be? Ask for their services to know more about what they can offer you. Did they talk to you in a friendly manner? Did they give you all the information you asked for or even more?

4. Availability

Remember seeing the sign on the clinic’s door to know whether the Direct Primary Care provider is “in” or “out”? Nowadays, your employees’ do not have to visit the facility. There are other ways to get an appointment, such as a telephone call, email messaging, and online chat. Your employees can also find virtual consult convenient and time-saving. Or they can talk to a Direct Primary Care provider representative through 24/7 telemedicine.

5. Recommendations

Ask for advice from your family and friends. They can give you referrals based on experience. They may probably suggest a Direct Primary Care provider whom they trust and have confidence in. Some of your family and friends can also refer you to other people. They may have more information about Direct Primary Care providers.

6. Personal preferences

Your employees may have personal preferences. It is taxing for you to interview them one by one. But, you can ask a consensus about their predisposition. It may include language/s spoken, gender-sensitive issues, and special cases or disabilities. You can research if a Direct Primary Care provider addresses your employee’s personal preferences.

7. Type of coverage and services

What kind of healthcare services do you want to offer your employees? Does your existing insurance cover these services, and at what costs? A Direct Primary Care provider delivers a wide array of services from which you can choose. Take note of the rate or affordability of a membership package. You can visit the websites of Direct Primary Care providers in Albuquerque to get more information. An example is Well Life ABQ. 

8. Reviews or ratings

Try to get to know what other people think about the Direct Primary Care provider. You can ask around family or friends about the service they received from a particular DPC provider. Rate each DPC provider with stars, five stars as the highest and one star as the lowest. 

You can also see reviews when you do an online search. Type “Direct Primary Care Providers in Albuquerque.” Names of Direct Primary Care providers will appear, and below their names are their reviews.

Have you filled out your comparative table of Direct Primary Care providers in Albuquerque? Who is the best on your list?