White Marsh Healthcare and Physical Medicine Integrated Health Care Model
White Marsh Healthcare and Physical Medicine Integrated Health Care Model
It's unfortunate how most patients seeking complete resolution of their health conditions never get there, and instead they suffer for the rest of their lives in one way or another. The reason why this occurs is simple. Their conditions are complex and require care from more than one specialist. For example, take a patient named Fred, who is diabetic, overweight, and is suffering from ankle swelling and leg weakness, tingling, and numbness. Fred is on medications for his diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and nerve pain from his low back which travels into his legs. His health complications are so advanced and chronic, they are affecting every area of his life.
Fred's energy is low, and his metabolism is getting slower by the day. This causes his weight to continue increasing. Fred's weight gain puts more stress on his heart, which further worsens his high blood pressure and high cholesterol. His extra weight-bearing is also increasing his low back/pinched nerve pain. The pinched nerve in his low back is causing the leg tingling, numbness, and weakness to increase, and the overall lack of circulation is swelling his ankles.
For Fred, it's clear that his poor health is affecting his marriage and other relationships because he just doesn't have the energy to put into them. His sex drive is non-existent, his work productivity is declining, and he is beginning to suffer from depression.
Now what? Where does Fred go from here? He is only 47 years old, but if he continues on his current path, he will not live much longer. The first place to start is to evaluate his options. He can go to his primary care physician, who will manage his medications and possibly make a referral for physical therapy, chiropractic, or pain management. He may also be referred to a cardiologist for his heart, and a dietician for his weight gain. This means Fred, with a full-time job and a family, will have to be managed by regularly by as many as 5 different health care specialists, many of whom will require multiple follow up appointments. This plan is set up for failure from the beginning for two reasons: 1.) Fred, like most people, does not have enough free hours each week to honor these appointments, not to mention the cost for co-pays, deductibles, etc. and 2.) there will be a lack of continuity between his health care providers. Although chart notes/records will be transferred between providers, there is still a lack of full awareness between the participating providers. This has been a long-standing problem in health care for many years.
So, the question is: how can a patient like Fred find a reasonable health care solution that will give him the best change of overcoming his life-threatening health conditions? The answer is the use of an integrated health care model. This model is becoming more common because it allows for a patient to receive treatment for their conditions by a team of doctors with different specialties, all under one roof. This model allows for the best communication between the treating health care providers, and saves the patient costs and time.
Now take Fred and put him in this model. He meets with the clinic director of our clinic, and after receiving a consultation and health history, he meets with all treating doctors of different specialties and gets the necessary diagnostics and examination, all in house. He then receives treatment for all conditions in the form of medication management, natural pain management, spine specific physical therapy, chiropractic care, spinal decompression therapy, and medical weight loss and nutritional counseling based on lab analysis of his blood sample.
This team approach is what ultimately allowed Fred, a real life success story in our clinic, to get his life and health back. He is now pain free, has lost almost 25 pounds, is exercising at least 3 times per week and is no longer depressed, is taking less medications, has normal blood pressure and cholesterol readings. He looks like a new person, and has shared with us how other areas of his life, particularly his job and his relationship with his family, have improved.
Health care and the options for treatment are more complex today than ever before. It is important for you to avoid "becoming lost in the process" of being passed around between specialists.
For more information on the integrated health care model, contact our clinic and schedule a consultation with one of our doctors. We look forward to providing you with a complete, integrated health care approach.
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