The Doctor’s Diagnosis: In-Home Medical Providers Can Help with Serious Conditions

Nothing is worse than watching someone you love in pain. For families who have loved ones with serious health conditions, the stress they feel is paramount. For the patient, this can be a daunting and stressful experience.

In-home medical providers can relieve the discouraging effects that serious conditions have on patients and their family.

By having someone there to help care for a seriously ill individual, families and patients can experience the numerous benefits an in-home medical provider can bring to all parties.

What Is an In-Home Medical Provider?

An in-home medical provider is a professional trained in medicine. In other words, they visit patients directly at their houses and administer treatments, diagnose issues and maintain patient health.

Our providers are comprised of doctors, nurse practitioners or physician assistants.

Advantages for Patients with Serious Conditions

Programs with in-home medical providers offer numerous advantages to patients and families alike.

Personalized

To these providers, you are not one of the 20+ patients seen in a day. Landmark’s physicians and specialized care teams take 30 to 60 minutes to sit with you in your home on an average visit. This allows them the time to get to know you, your life and health goals, and often your family and other caregivers.

For patients with multiple chronic conditions, it can be a challenge to communicate everything that is happening is a 15-minute facility-based visit.

Often, reviewing test results and information from other doctors and specialists can occupy the full time. This is a challenge for both the patient and their primary care provider who would like the luxury of more time with their more complex patients.

Care When You Need It

Landmark’s providers are available when you need us. That means when the regular doctors’ offices are closed, we’re available to take care of you directly at your house.

For families, this results in less worry. If something happens, a hospital or emergency room visit isn’t necessary. Instead, a professional can come to assess the situation regardless of whether it’s 3 p.m. or 3 a.m.

For patients with serious illnesses, this means increased accessibility to doctors, less stress, and often fewer visits to the emergency room or hospital.[1]

Save Money

In a study conducted by The Commonwealth Fund, researchers found practices partaking in Medicare’s at-home programs saved over $3,000 per beneficiary in the first year.

The savings aren’t limited to the practicing companies; patients can avoid unnecessary hospital costs that rack up expenses. A simple issue that could easily be solved at home may result in extensive care at a hospital or overnight stays—all of which can drastically increase the hospital bill you’ll receive later.

With the prices for hospital services rising, in-home care can help patients and family members spend less and experience high-quality care and treatment.

Convenience

Landmark providers arrive at your house when you want them to and help you with any health concern you have.

That means if a family member isn’t available to help for the day or medicine needs to be administered by a specialist, patients can remain in the comfort of their own homes. For patients who are home-bound, home-limited or otherwise unable to drive, such a service can lessen the stress accompanied with the usual scheduling arrangements to get to and from the doctor’s office.

For those with serious illnesses, and their families, it doesn’t get more convenient than that.

Swift Appointments

Family members and patients both know the frustration of scheduling an appointment at a doctor’s office. Even with new symptoms, sometimes it can take weeks to see a physician.

In fact, surveys have found that the average wait time to get an appointment with your doctor takes longer than ever. In fact, the average wait time is 24 days.

This inconvenient—and potentially unhealthy—wait time goes away with Landmark. Expected appointments are set up well in advance to ensure you’re receiving the care you need and any pressing matters can be investigated quickly.

Urgent Care

Patients with serious health conditions face the possibility of emergencies every day. Normally, urgent care requires transport to a hospital or, at the very least, an urgent care center.

Aside from the fact that the average ER visit costs more than the national average for a month’s rent, patients with access to house call providers will be able to receive the care they need without the hassle that comes along with a hospital visit. In-home providers are even equipped to administer IVs, take X-rays and labs.

That means no driving time and no waits.

Furthermore, Landmark’s at-home medical model effectively resulted in a 39% decrease in hospitalization among its patients.

Sense of Independence

Writer Erynn Porter has a chronic illness, and she details the feelings of worthlessness and dependence that all victims of a serious condition face. “In my mind, I make plans and to-do lists,” she writes. “But when I try, I can’t do them all. My body simply won’t function in a way to do everything. This is my life with invisible illness.”

In addition, Porter discusses the issues many chronically ill patients face: the inability to complete tasks because of the disease, a feeling that it defines them. As Porter finds, discovering ways to be productive even with the illness is the key. A caregiver provides this.

Patients don’t have to feel as if their health is beyond their control; instead, they have a vested interest and say in what occurs and when, and they can ask for help only when it is needed.

Less Exposure to Harmful Diseases and Bacteria

Doctor’s offices are full of coughing, ill patients. For someone who is chronically ill and may have a vulnerable immune system, staying away from any diseases or bacteria is vital.

A simple cold could spell months of disaster for someone with a serious condition.

And in areas where multiple sick patients are kept, bacteria runs rampant. One needs only to consider the case of C. difficile which plagued hospitals and doctors’ offices a few years ago to understand the dire repercussions a visit can have.

With Landmark, you can avoid the urgent care room or doctor’s office, that means less chance of picking up any other illnesses.

Empowerment

Finally, patients and family members will be empowered. In-home providers have and take time to educate you and your family members’ every visit. Thus, they provide a sense of independence that boosts patients’ morale and puts family members at ease.

The Landmark Difference

Landmark’s in-home care model comes equipped with more than just medical care.

For patients with serious conditions, a specialized team of medical providers, behavioral health specialists, pharmacists, nurse care managers, dietitians, social workers and healthcare ambassadors working together to treat the whole patient can make all the difference in their health and attitudes.

To learn more about how Landmark’s services work, visit our “How It Works“ page or call us with questions.

Landmark was created to deliver comprehensive care to patients whenever and wherever they need it. This means the doctor doesn’t have to be at the hospital and behind a very long line of waiting people—now, he’s in the house.

[1]Patients continuously engaged for six months in the Landmark program, compared to those non-engaged experienced a 39% reduction in ER visits.

The information provided herein is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.