The Value of Your Concierge Doctor

Imagine you are by the sea on the Florida coastline with your toddler.  You are far from home when you realize that your ear hurts.  I mean REALLY hurts.  Tylenol nor Motrin cut it. 

What do you do?

• Do you line up at the local emergency room, waiting to be seen after hours of waiting (and pain) and spending half your Christmas budget on the proposed treatment?
• Or do you visit the local urgent care, which may be less waiting and less money, (but still the same pain), only to be treated by a hurried physician, who doesn't know you from Adam?
• No!  You smile inwardly as you text your concierge physician, who knows your likes and dislikes, asks a few clarifying questions and is ready to electronically prescribe your medications to the pharmacy of your choice. Oh! And there's time to text a few words of greeting to your baby girl that you've waited to spend time with.

These are the actual words of this actual situation:

"Doccccc, my right ear has a constant dull pain.  If I chew on the right side it sends a shock straight to the ear.  Any ideas?" 

After a few questions, it was diagnosed as swimmer's ear or otitis externa.  So appropriate medications were electronically prescribed to the local pharmacy.  A follow up text was sent to the patient the next morning to check on symptoms.

"Good morning, were you able to get your medications and start using them last night?  How is your ear today?" 

The response: "Ear drops save lives! It still hurts a bit."

The empathetic reply: "OK that's better, but it must have been miserable!"

The closing communication: "Freaking sucked doc!" Grateful that I can message you whenever I need you."

Enough said!

Author

Shahan Chowdhury, MD aka Dr. C Dr. C is a passionate concierge physician in Frisco that lives to prevent heart attacks and strokes (and so much more). She deconstructs the problem(s) and uses an holistic approach to problem solve. In doing so, patient and physician work together to build on small successful steps.