DIRECT PRIMARY CARE: AN EMERGING DELIVERY MODEL FOR U.S. HEALTH CARE
Open Access
Author:
Smith, Katie Jo
Area of Honors:
Health Policy and Administration
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Yungfeng Shi, Thesis Supervisor Selena E Ortiz, Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Direct Primary Care Health Policy and Administration U.S. Health Care
Abstract:
Direct primary care (DPC) is a medical care delivery model in which third-party payers are eliminated. In a DPC model physicians collect a monthly subscription fee from patients rather than billing insurance companies for services provided, thereby reducing administrative burdens. It has been estimated that 90% of the primary care dollar is wasted on unnecessary administrative duties. Additionally, physicians report spending at least 3.5 hours per week on claims processing. Providers and patients in DPC arrangements report higher quality, lower cost, and improved patient and physician satisfaction than experienced in traditional settings. The purpose of this thesis is to summarize the literature on direct primary care, introduce the reader to aggregated results from published data analysis on DPC cost and quality, and identify gaps in the literature that indicate concerns with the feasibility and viability of DPC. To conclude, considerations for future researchers are provided.