The Evolution of the Modern-Day House Call in Healthcare

If you’re not old enough to remember when doctors made house calls on a regular basis, you’ve probably seen them depicted in movies and old TV series. A nice and cheerful doctor would come to their bedside when they were sick, armed with his trusty black bag. He’d be ready for any medical emergency, such as healing a disease, sewing up a wound, or delivering a baby. This was a frequent practise in the United States until the 1960s, and it remains so in other parts of the world today.

So, what changed?
The way healthcare is paid for is one major shift. In 1960, nearly half of all healthcare costs were paid out of pocket, compared to about 11% now. This means that in the past, people had significantly more choice over how they engaged with their doctors, whereas nowadays, insurance corporations frequently set the rules. Furthermore, healthcare and the tools used to practise medicine have evolved dramatically. Many of the diagnostic and treatment machines used today were not available in the days of house call medicine. Even ten to twenty years ago, many of these machines were only available in hospitals or large multi-doctor practises. They were simply too big, too expensive, and too difficult to maintain in any other context.

The House Call of Today
In addition, an increasing number of doctors and other clinical staff are making traditional house calls to treat patients in their own homes. Frustrated by our present healthcare system’s lack of personal connection, more and more clinicians are beginning to value the ability to spend time getting to know a patient. Many common diagnostic and treatment gadgets have become more small and inexpensive because to technological advancements. In most circumstances, a visit from a physician or medical team to your home is significantly less expensive than a trip to the local emergency room.

A medical team will be sent to a patient’s home or office by DMV medical concierge, a Virginia-based organisation that serves a growing number of locations around the country. A nurse practitioner or physician assistant is on the team, as well as a DMV medical concierge. They can help with things like the flu, dehydration, urinary tract infections (UTIs), small fractures, and skin lacerations that don’t necessitate a trip to the ER.

Patients have an outstanding experience and avoid the stress of the waiting room and the high costs of treatment at an ER by receiving comfortable healthcare on their schedule, not the time of the physician.