Bringing Human Connection Back Through Advanced Primary Care

Author: John Woodworth, LD&B Employee Benefits Consultant

Why are most people concerned about healthcare delivery in America? Certainly, cost is foremost in everyone’s minds: unfortunately appropriate care may be delayed or even avoided due to financial concerns.

However, another major concern for many is the lack of connection with their doctor. Patients within the ubiquitous, large, and vertically-integrated health systems today experience long waits, multiple interactions with non-caregivers, a rushed and distracted discussion with a doctor, and more confusing paperwork and guidance. It can feel like moving along a conveyor belt, with only a small interaction with the physician and an “amount due” resulting at the end of the line. Welcome to the mass production/factory model of medicine.

Possibly there are instances of sincere human connection on occasion within this environment, but the overall feeling from the patient is an uncaring, impersonal experience from beginning to end. Most everyone associated with healthcare delivery understands the importance of the doctor-patient relationship and has since the time of Hippocrates. Studies show poor outcomes accompany severed, non-existent, or subpar doctor-patient relationships.

Advanced primary care, usually financed and offered outside of the insurance plan (after all, insurance should be for the unexpected, expensive care), assures the patient of care that is personal, collaborative, and unhurried. Physicians practicing Direct Primary Care (DPC), one of the business models delivering advanced primary care where a monthly subscription is paid and covers services rendered, spend significantly more time with patients compared to fee-for-service primary care physicians, averaging 30-60 minutes per visit versus 12-15 minutes, resulting in more accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plans.

A new and encouraging trend among innovative employers is to make advanced primary care available at no cost for enrolled plan members and paying for those services outside of the health plan financials. Employers seeking better quality health outcomes for their employees will want to invest in this type of care because it serves the best interest of their team members and reduces insurance costs over time. If you manage the health benefit for your organization, why not consider making an investment in better primary care rather than a much more expensive payment for downstream specialty, inpatient, or acute care that may have resulted from delayed or avoided care needed earlier?

Works Cited:

Georgiou, A. (2024). The evidence supports a model… Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047272723001093

Preferred Family Medicine. (2025). 5 Benefits of Longer Doctor Visits in DPC. https://preferredfamilymedicine.com/5-benefits-of-longer-doctor-visits-in-dpc/

JAMA Health Forum. (2024). Association of Primary Care Visit Length With Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing. American Medical Association. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2802144

Society of Actuaries. (2020). Direct Primary Care Evaluation Model. https://www.soa.org/resources/research-reports/2020/direct-primary-care-eval-model/