Beneficial features for the physician include:
Manageable practice sizes and schedules:
Concierge practices are typically limited to 350-400 patients. The smaller panel size enables practices to offer same-day or next-day appointments with no wait time unless the physician is attending a medical emergency.

Time for personal, preventive care consultation and strategies:
30-40 minutes per patient appointment is the routine for concierge practices. And patients can be accommodated with additional time available if requested. The physician has more time to evaluate and treat patients and will be able to consider in-depth preventive strategies, diagnostic and therapeutic techniques.

More efficient practice management:
Less patient volume reduces need for staffing, paperwork, and overall expenses.

Ability to effectively coordinate patient care:
Concierge practice physicians feel they have ore time to review test results and treatment options and provide more information to specialists before consults.

Greater flexibility of compensation:
A variety of compensation packages are possible including a combination of scheduled membership fees, fee-for-services, and insurance reimbursement income.

Patients prefer these practices because they receive:
More personalized attention:
Patients appreciate the amount of time and attention they receive as part of a concierge practice. They are able to access their physician quickly and easily and can spend more time during an office visit (30 minutes is often the minimum) to discuss concerns, ask questions or review test results. Some concierge physicians also offer in-home and emergency room visits to help expedite evaluation and treatment. Concierge practices also traditionally offer prescription filling services with convenient delivery to the patient's home or office.

Increased access to appointment times:
With a more manageable patient load, physicians are often able to offer same-day or next-day appointments with no wait time unless attending a medical emergency.

24/7 availability of their physicians
Patients can typically reach their physician directly via office phone, email, fax, cell phone or pager.

Access to medical record information and the physician through enhanced web services
Many concierge practices offer patients on-line access to medical records, test results and appointment scheduling. Physicians also find this a helpful tool for transferring news and reports about relevant health issues to the patient.

Eight strategic steps to building a concierge practice:
Get the expertise and support you need to build a concierge practice every step of the way.
The most successful concierge practices to date have been formed by doctors with years of experience, full patient panels and have a strong connection with their patients. Our team will work with you to assess the feasibility of transitioning to a concierge practice and help determine what the practice should feature to attract the most members.

1. Feasibility assessment

2. Legal counsel

3. Define your service mix

4. Determine your panel size and fee structure

5. Budget for transition

6. Spread the word

7. Invest in technology

8. Stay focused on the patient