Want better healthcare? Have doctors make house call.
by Dr. Mindy Fain
I make house calls. Remember those? When a doctor came to your door with a black bag? You might think of this as a quaint vestige of prewar life, or a luxury for the exceptionally wealthy with their concierge doctors. But home care medicine, as it’s now called, is extremely efficient and effective in modern America. Indeed, it often makes more medical and financial sense than a trip to the doctor’s office.
Picture an older couple: He’s 86, she’s 82. He’s got several health issues: obstructive lung disease, heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and early Alzheimer’s. She takes care of him, organizes his 14 medications, prepares low-salt meals. They’re managing.
