Posted by: AtlasMD

February 25, 2015

Direct Care Sells Itself.

In the most recent Atlas MD podcast Drs. Josh and Doug touch on something every DPC physician should embrace.

Direct Care sells itself.

Having said that, those new to the DPC business model have a unique opportunity to propel the “self-selling” part forward. In a nutshell, make pristine examples out of your first few patients. Be impeccable, intuitive, proactive, and all the other positive adjectives that might describe DPC docs. No excuses. Make it impossible for your patients to overlook the value in what you have to offer. Show them what their care is made of so they’re bursting to tell everyone they know. Here’s why letting them in is so crucial:

When you show how a product is made, you’re inviting your customers behind-the-scenes and enchanting the narrative they hold of you. There is a fundamental difference between simply using a product versus using a product where you also know its history and how it was conceived—the latter elicits an emotional connection.

DPC is already emotionally charged, so it’s only fitting that transparency is what will keep patients coming back. If Direct Care physicians give their patients the right ammo, patients might just change the face of healthcare all on their own.

Read more on the topic of how a product sells itself and why. >

Posted by: AtlasMD

September 17, 2014

Atlas MD Podcast 20 – Answering the Why.

Atlas MD Podcast 20 – Answering the Why.

STREAM EPISODE 20 OF THE ATLAS MD PODCAST ON iTUNES >

Direct Care is expanding! More and more clinics are opening their doors using the Direct Care model, including specialty practices like endocrinology, and psychiatry clinics. The chiropractic community has also been listening lately, some of them adopting a monthly membership model themselves. Lending to a busy upcoming travel schedule, the Atlas MD team is working hard to not only dispel the myths of Direct Care, but continue to answer questions and educate those who want to learn more about this model of healthcare.

In this Podcast: Answering the Why.

Derived from a talk on behavioral economics, Drs. Josh and Doug explore how people make decisions based on their financial situation. The method of explaining how a $50 monthly is better than a $20 copay can be phrased different ways to get different responses – and being able to explain those situations comes from knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing in the first place.

Listen in to find out how Direct Care medical professionals have the best “Why” ever.

STREAM EPISODE 20 OF THE ATLAS MD PODCAST ON iTUNES >

VIDEO: Direct Care Explained in 10 Minutes.

If you’ve been looking for an elevator pitch to make a case for this healthcare model, search no longer. Dr. Josh had the pleasure of speaking at the Louisville Airport Crowne Plaza for the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. In a short time allotment of 10 minutes, Dr. Josh lays out the premise of Direct Care.

Direct Care clinics are laying down roots all over the country. Don’t believe us? See for yourself over at iwantdirectcare.com. Patients have expressed their interest, docs know exactly where they’re wanted. Don’t forget to put yourself on the map while you’re there!

Time Begets Quality, DPC is the Key to Utilizing FitBit Data.

Venture Beat recently released an article expounding on all the reasons doctors don’t want data from health wearables like Fitbit. Among those reasons? Not enough time to analyze, and no proven system to analyze it in.

One higher-up explains: “Doctors would love to be excited about wearables — they’re gadget guys at heart — but their day-to-day is spent battling 30 year old fax machines to get your last lab report.” says Jeff Tangney, CEO of Doximity, which makes a social communication platform for clinicians. “For a busy doctor, the ability to use email would save more lives than a Fitbit.”

Atlas MD’s Dr. Josh told his side of the story in an interview with The Daily Beast. His view looks completely different from that of docs who shudder at the thought of more data. He not only cares about his patient’s FitBit data, but welcomes it. He finds this information so useful, he’s integrated fitness app tracking into his EMR software (that also handles emails, in case you were wondering) to better communicate with his patients about the one thing that matters most – their health.  Read more

Atlas MD Podcast 18 — The State of Specialty Care

Atlas MD Podcast 18 — The State of Specialty Care

STREAM EP. 18 OF THE ATLAS MD PODCAST ON iTUNES

A lot’s been going on! In addition to talking about the state of specialty care with respect to Direct Primary Care, here’s a sneak peek at the latest podcast:

  • We’ve had lots of meetings with insurance companies about how they can create a wrap around product to sell alongside Direct Primary Care, which could help take DPC mainstream even faster.
  • Employers are able to give their employees monetary raises because of their association with Direct Primary Care.
  • The ACO model is struggling to be sustainable due to the high cost of healthcare – Direct Care can help decrease overhead by decreasing waste, and turning that waste into profit.
  • Big updates to the Atlas.md EMR software include more fitness app integration features.

Last but not least, We were honored to have a med student join us for an entire month recently, and we want to make sure the medical community knows they’re more than welcome to stop by and see what we’re all about. Or if we can help make direct care a part of your medical education, conference, personal training experience, please get in touch.

Atlas MD Podcast 17 — Meet Dr. Michael Palomino

Atlas MD Podcast 17 — Meet Dr. Michael Palomino

STREAM EP. 17 OF THE ATLAS MD PODCAST ON iTUNES

And we’re back. We brought in a special guest for this week’s episode–our own Dr. Michael Palomino!

It’s go, go, go in the world of Direct Care. First off, we’re excited that Dr. Samir Qamar of MedLion was able to start DPC United. The association will organize and promote our cash-only model of healthcare. Remember, Direct Care is competitive but it’s not winner-takes-all. Physicians are in this together. Education and awareness are critical to our movement because insurance has our nation in a subservient position: People are under the impression that coverage is absolutely necessary for ALL healthcare, when we know that’s not the case.

And more exciting news. Atlas.md EMR has been fully funded for 2+ years of ongoing development. Direct Care docs, take note: we’ll be continually iterating on our revolutionary software tool. In fact, we recently rolled out a new update. Check out the list of feature updates here. And please, keep emailing us all of your feedback so we can continue honing Direct Care’s premiere software.

Insurance-Based Primary Care Won’t Prevent Obesity

Recently, someone asked me on Twitter, “Has the change in classification of obesity as a disease affected how you treat patients presenting w/ the disease?”

The classification change in question is regarding the American Medical Association’s declaration that obesity is a disease rather than a comorbidity factor.

Read more

Meet Atlas MD, Wichita’s Premiere Cash-Only Family Practice

Dr. Josh Umbehr cofounded Atlas MD in 2010 with Dr. Doug Nunamaker. Fresh out of residency, we’ve found tremendous success providing cash-only medicine — from zero subscribers to three docs and a full roster of patients.

Here, Dr. Josh speaks at the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons Conference.

If you’re new to Direct Care, this video will introduce you to an innovative insurance-free model of family medicine.

And if you want Direct Care in your area, make sure to register at “I Want Direct Care“. It only takes a name, email, and zip code to add a pin on our interactive map — and prove the demand for affordable healthcare.

Direct Care Is A Declaration Of Doctor Independence

Originally appeared on KevinMD.com

Yes, it really is time to revoke the health-care mandates issued by bureaucrats who ARE NOT in the profession of actual healing.

Daniel F. Craviotto Jr. writes on WSJ.com, “In my 23 years as a practicing physician, I’ve learned that the only thing that matters is the doctor-patient relationship.”

Craviotto, Jr. is a doctor who embodies the fight of Direct Care. How we interact and treat our patients truly is the practice of medicine. There’s a problem with the rising cost of health care (for starters, Oregon spent over $1,000 per subscriber on just a website to sign up for coverage that might not even provide a doctor).

Read more

We Can’t Say No To Patients? I Thought We Were Professionals.

Yes, the customer is almost always right — except if they’re paying cash for healthcare. In this case, yes, the “customer” has the right to take their business elsewhere. But do they have the right to complain when I won’t prescribe a drug I know they don’t need?

No way. And just like I don’t WANT to pay taxes, my accountant provides me with options to address what I need to do and what I should not do.

Of course, I don’t have to listen to my accountant. I can forego paying my taxes.

However, I shouldn’t be surprised when the IRS calls me to demand payment, garnishes my wages, and ultimately closes my practice.

Read more