Are concierge medicine services ethical?

Physicians have the right to offer concierge care, and patients have the right to use these specialized services. Many concierge physicians claim that this form of therapy is not just in the patient’s best interest, but also in the physician’s best interest. Physicians can provide more individualized care without being limited by time or finances. With more time to spend with patients, doctors would be able to focus on not only treating but also preventing diseases and accidents. It has been established that preventive medicine saves patients money and pain. The question of patient abandonment comes up as a stumbling block. As noted earlier in the paper, the cost of concierge treatment can exclude a number of patients from a physician’s practice. According to critics, this might be construed as a sort of patient desertion. Advocates react to this complaint by noting that as long as physicians have a proper transition mechanism in place that helps patients discover new doctors and maintains continuity of care, the objection is moot. On this subject, the American Medical Association has a tight guideline, which was mentioned on page thirteen. Patients’ essential human right to respect for persons is violated when they are abandoned because they are not treated with decency and respect. When a patient is abandoned for financial reasons, they become vulnerable because their medical ailments go untreated, and their quality of life worsens. Because we fail to protect those with limited autonomy, we are violating the concept of respect for persons.

The question of informed consent is another topic that directly ties to the idea of respect for humans. Informed consent is most typically used to refer to surgical procedures and surgeries. In this study, however, informed consent also refers to the legal relationship that exists between the patient and the physician. Patients have a right to know what services are covered and which are not, as well as the retainer fees associated with their medical care. Termination language should also be included in this contract. Patients have a right to know how long their contract will last and how it will be renewed. Physicians must adhere to all rules and regulations when opting out of Medicare and/or other third-party payers, and patients must be told about these arrangements and their financial responsibilities. Patients will not be able to offer informed consent unless they are fully informed about their options. One of the most fundamental parts of the principle of respect for persons is that a person should never be considered as a means to an end, but rather as an end in itself. Patients are used as a means rather than an end when they are not treated due of financial concerns or when they are not informed about the cost and scope of contracted medical services. This objection of using a patient as a means to an end can be eliminated if concierge physicians have a plan of continuity of care with other physicians in the community, provide adequate notice and appropriate referrals, do not leave patients in an unstable condition, and the concierge contract is clearly understood. Giving patients the ability to choose their doctors and to be treated with decency and respect is what respect for people involves. Following the American Medical Association’s retainer contract rules would provide the necessary safeguards for patients while also demonstrating the basic respect that all human beings deserve.

Beneficence entails the responsibility to prevent and remove damages, as well as to promote the person’s good by limiting potential hurts and maximizing potential benefits. Nonmaleficence, which prevents the infliction of pain, injury, or death on others, is included in the concept of beneficence. This idea has been strongly related with the maxim Primum non nocere: Above all, do no harm51 in medical ethics. Concierge medicine, according to proponents, is in the best interests of the patient. Patients receive specialized medical care that is not currently available from most primary care physicians. Priority same-day or guaranteed next-day appointments, 24/7 access to physicians, house calls, preventive care, upgraded yearly health examinations, phone and e-mail consultations, and more are all available to them. Many patients find that having instant access to a physician provides them with a sense of security. It also enables a doctor to be proactive with patients by emphasizing wellness and preventive treatment. Concierge medicine allows doctors to intervene before medical problems become serious. “Patients have a comprehensive yearly exam that includes chest x-rays, extensive blood work, and electrocardiograms, among other tests, in addition to the standard physical. Each patient receives a personalized ‘wellness plan’4 based on the information acquired during these thorough examinations. Patients in concierge practices had 61.3 percent fewer hospitalizations than identical patients in commercial insurance plans, and 74 percent fewer hospitalizations than Medicare patients of similar age, gender, and illness risk, according to recent studies. This way of doing medicine isn’t necessarily better medicine, but it is better caring. It’s about increasing medical advantages while reducing medical risks.

To discuss your medical needs for Concierge Medicine in Las Vegas NV  with a female board certified internist call 702-850-22422 today.