TechDirt has an interesting article (“The Doctr Is In“) about Dr. Jay Parkinson. Dr. Parkinson started a boutique clinic in which patients pay for services out of pocket. Unlike most boutique practices, patients can email or instant message the doctor about any medical questions from 8am to 5pm, or in the case of medical emergencies Parkinson is available 24/7. Techdirt claims that “studies confirm that online chat with your doctor is nearly as effective as an in-person visit.” Further, if the patient is sufficiently ill, Parkinson will make house visits (two are included in the $500 annual retainer fee). Another interesting aspect of the Parkinson practice is the following:
“…since all of his clients are very price conscious (since they’re paying out of pocket), he actively shops around for the best value specialists to send his clients to. In the age of copayments and insurance, you very rarely see much price comparison shopping in health care .”
You can visit Dr. Parkinson’s website here.
The Washington Post has an article (“Take two emails…“) on Dr. Jay Parkinson and his new methods of practicing medicine. You saw it first, here on Healthcare Economist.