DPC - Dr. Kelley

Membership Practices, Concierge Practices, and Direct Primary Care: Similarities and Differences

The terms “membership practice”,”concierge medicine,” and “direct primary care” are sometimes used interchangeably. While they have similarities, they have distinct differences too. It’s important to be familiar with the differences so you can help your patients understand them and be more comfortable with your new practice model.

If you’re among the many doctors seeking a better way to serve your patients, you may be considering a membership, concierge, or direct primary care practice model. To help you make the best decision for you and your patients, this post will outline what these practice models have in common and how they differ.

Marketing a Membership, Direct Primary Care (DPC), or Concierge Practice

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

More and more physicians are transitioning from a traditional practice to a membership, DPC, or concierge practice. The three terms are often (mistakenly) used interchangeably. (The various ways to structure this type of practice will be discussed in future blogs, so stay tuned!)

If you’re thinking about making the leap, you’ve probably done enough research to know that one of the biggest issues for these practices is marketing.

Perhaps “marketing” is the wrong thing to focus on. Focus, instead, on patient education to help your current patients become comfortable and excited about the new practice model. This can smooth the transition and alleviate some of your patient-retention fears. (Plus it can also save you time and money since you won’t have to focus so much effort on constantly attracting new patients.)