What would personalized health care look like?
Author: Chhaya Makhija, MD, DipABLM
Board certified specialist in Endocrinology & Lifestyle Medicine
🎉 Friday, March 15th, 2024, was a momentous occasion for us at CHSU-COM as we celebrated the acceptance of our first batch of students into various residency programs! 🏥 From Internal Medicine to Family Medicine, Pediatrics to Emergency Medicine, Orthopedics, and beyond, it was a proud moment for me as one of the inaugural faculty members back in 2019, when our school was just taking its first steps. 🌟
Reflecting on my journey, I couldn't help but be transported back to 2007, a time filled with excitement as we ventured into the world of patient care. It was a time of forging sacred bonds between physician and patient, of independent interactions with real patients. But the road ahead was long, with board exams, four years of Internal Medicine residency, research, and two to three years of Endocrinology fellowship. 📚
Healthcare had evolved drastically by then. Layers of bureaucracy had crept in, distancing physicians from their patients. Time constraints and metrics overshadowed the essence of patient care, favoring volume over quality. Barriers built by administration and systems led to no time spent in discussion about lifestyle or reversal or even steps (nonprescription drugs) for improvement of parameters like weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, etc. for each patient. It could happen for a handful but not all. With reduced reimbursements from health insurance, patients struggling to get sooner appointments, and increased demands with more patients, it was time for a change. So, I took a leap of faith, driven by purpose and heart.
I embarked on my journey with "Direct Specialty Care." 💼 It's simple – a direct agreement between patient and physician, free from constraints on time and focused on easy access and technology-driven convenience. Truly “Personalized Care”. I advocate for my patients and spend an ample amount of time listening to their stories as well as educating them, navigating the complexities of the healthcare system, and collaborating to ensure comprehensive care. 🤝
Direct Care:
Expertise
Access to the expert physician
Time with the expert physician
Was it easy? Far from it. But does it feel right? Absolutely. A healer, A doctor, and a health care professional are calm and collected, those positive vibes extend to our patients. Haven't you experienced rushed visits with your doctors? I have and I would not want to be that doctor. Sometimes, it's as simple as listening to them. Other times, it's celebrating their victories – whether it's improved glucose levels, better blood pressure control, or even their attempts to take steps to optimize their health. 🎉
Direct Care isn't just about prescriptions and appointments; it's about understanding each patient's journey, empowering them with knowledge, and simplifying medical concepts. 🧠 It's holistic, complete, and centered on the well-being of every individual. It's reducing the burden of diseases for our patients and our nation as a whole. This eventually leads to reduced healthcare costs and simpler access to primary care physicians and specialists. Because in the end, it's not just about treating symptoms – it's about nurturing and optimizing health and happiness. 💖