This week, The Health & Wealth Power Hour podcast brought back a previously aired episode featuring Dr. Arti Thangudu. She joined host Harlon Pickett to discuss her journey to a direct care model at her clinic, Complete Medicine, that brings back the thoughtful, personalized care patients deserve.
As an endocrinologist, Dr. Thangudu grew frustrated with the limitations of insurance-based care. In a high-volume specialty practice, she had just 5-10 minutes per appointment to manage complex conditions like diabetes. Patients were unhappy after waiting hours past their scheduled time. With little time to provide individualized attention, she felt unable to deliver the care she wanted.
Seeking a better way, Dr. Thangudu launched her own direct-to-patient membership model at Complete Medicine. She now offers hour-long initial visits, 30-minute follow-ups, and unlimited access in between. Freed from billing negotiations, she can provide transparent pricing on items like discounted labs.
This model enables the types of relationships and outcomes Dr. Thangudu envisioned. With time to develop rapport, she can better empower patients to manage chronic illnesses like diabetes. As she stressed, diabetes demands urgent action and diligent management to prevent irreversible complications like cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, neuropathy, and vision loss. However, many patients struggle to access this type of attentive, specialized care.
Unfortunately, long waitlists to see endocrinologists mean 85% of diabetes patients only see primary care doctors instead. As generalists, primary doctors simply do not have the time or specialized expertise needed to provide optimal diabetes care. With only 5-10 minutes allotted per appointment, they are severely limited in their ability to counsel patients on topics like nutrition, lifestyle changes, and medication management. For truly personalized guidance, a direct care endocrinologist like Dr. Thangudu is an accessible alternative.
Dr. Thangudu’s own journey exemplifies a return to medicine’s roots – unrushed doctors who listen, diagnose, educate, and partner with patients. This model offers the thoughtful, individualized care that diabetes patients deserve, but too often cannot easily obtain. Hopefully more specialists will follow her lead in reimagining healthcare that focuses first and foremost on the doctor-patient relationship.
Be sure to check out the full episode to learn more about the direct care movement in healthcare. We all deserve the time and attention to address our unique health needs – let’s make it happen.
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