Advantages of specialty packages over One-time doctor consultations
“My dietician has a 3-month package service, Is there something similar for you doc?”
This is one of the questions that I get a lot from my online patients. I have never thought about this before, but when more such requests for a package plan piled up in Dofody, I thought why not dig deep into the advantages and disadvantages of the same?
So, this is that article that has been hiding in my “notes” app for the last 6 months now. If you want to skip reading this article, Here is my conclusion, doctor’s consultation as a package has more benefits than one can ever imagine! and that’s the reason why I decided to start my own packages on Dofody. As a doctor I get to know more details about the patient, I can keep a regular check on his progress and most importantly, follow-up consultations are never missed
When it comes to a patient, they feel committed to turning up for the follow-up consultation when they have subscribed to the package. Patients get a unique opportunity to build a new type of relationship with the doctor which never happens in one-time consultations.
So, if you have ever consulted a doctor and then wondered why this doctor is providing a packaged plan, you’ll get the answer here.
What is a One-time consultation?
This is by far the most common type of doctor consultation in the world.
You visit a doctor, you pay the consulting fee, the doctor sees you, examines you, gives you expert advice, then a prescription, and then you leave.
The next time you visit the same doctor is unpredictable. Even though the doctor had asked for a follow-up after two weeks, you fail to do that. You miss out on that day because you couldn’t do the test that your doctor had ordered!
So, you think why spend the extra money and get the test done when there are no symptoms as of now?
This is what happens with most one-time consultations.
According to this article, 70 % of doctors report that they do not see the patient for whom a follow-up was absolutely necessary. This lack of follow-up leads to more medical expenses for the patient in the long term.
In Kerala, an average doctor’s consultation fee is anywhere between 100 and 600 Rupees. When a person pays this fee, he is entitled to get free consultations for the next 2 weeks. But, most often, the doctor asks for a follow-up after 4 weeks, which the patient is most likely to miss!
For acute infections like cough and cold, the 2-week gap is more than enough. But, when it comes to lifestyle diseases, like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and fatty liver disease, follow-up after 2 weeks is not at all enough. These conditions are called chronic, or long-term lifestyle diseases and it takes time to correct them.
This is where repeated, regular follow-up consultations become key.
What are Package Plans?
You might have used a package plan before! It could be your gym membership, your dietician’s package, the weight loss package, your dance classes, or everything that you pay for up-front or on a regular monthly or yearly basis, that’s a package plan!
When you buy these services as a package, you automatically become committed to the package. There is no room for procrastination.
Most of these package plans as you might have noticed combines a predefined number of services for an up-front payment or in some cases, it will be like your Netflix subscription.
What is the best part of package plans? You get the same service, but at a lower rate than when you take the same service one time!
All the package plans that you have already been a part of, are focused on providing you a result.
Your gym promises to bulk up some extra muscle and burn the fat in your body.
Your dance classes offer you the promise to make you a better dancer!
This is the same way how a doctor’s consultation package works!
It works best for long-term conditions, where a single one-time consultation becomes absolutely useless!
You can subscribe to the package and now you are equally responsible to show up at the right time, the result is most likely to be achieved as you have unknowingly made yourself more responsible.
When you subscribe to a doctor’s package, you are actually entering into an agreement with the doctor for achieving the desired result. This way, you will not hesitate to show up for the follow-up consultations. Even if you don’t show up, your doctor will initiate the consultation from their side! Your doctor also is now responsible to offer the best long tem healthcare to you so that the desired result is achieved.
Doctor Prasoon’s Blood Pressure Control Package
In order to make you understand the benefits of the package plans, I’ll explain how this new package works!
You first need to become eligible for the plan! How can you do that?
Book a one-time consultation first! I’ll go through your past and present medical history and if you are eligible, you can go ahead and subscribe to the package.
It would be a bad decision if you sign up for the package without understanding your eligibility, right?
Now coming to the benefits of the package. A single one-time consultation on Dofody is 299 Indian Rupees, which has a maximum duration of 15 minutes with a validity of 72 hours.
If you are sincerely trying to take control of your blood pressure, do you really think 15 minutes would be enough for me to first understand your medical history, assess your risk factors, change the treatment, and advise a new plan?
No, it’s impossible!
It will take anywhere between 1 hour to 4 months to do that. In this time period, there will be some tests to do, some more blood pressure measurements to be recorded, and some changes in diet and lifestyle to be implemented, and trust me when I say that it does take time!
So, in the package, I will be calling you twice every week, for 4 weeks. In the extended package, make it 12 weeks!
If you forget, it’s okay, I won’t forget to call you at the scheduled time!
The regular follow-up along with the minor adjustments in your lifestyle will finally coach you to take control of your blood pressure! That’s the result that you’ve been trying to achieve all these years!
This is how a package works!
Disadvantages of Packages?
As you have guessed right, it’s the cost! When you compare 200 Indian Rupees with 9900 Indian Rupees, you can straight away understand the problem here, right?
But all you have to do is compare the cost of medicines and imagine the expenses for unexpected medical emergencies which might happen if you continue on the same road. You will have to add another couple of zeroes to that number and even that won’t be enough!
Apart from the high cost, I cannot think of another disadvantage of the package.
Conclusion
So, if you want to check out the packages on Dofody, you can do that on this page.
Currently, Dr Bishurul Hafi is providing a 3-month “Sexual medicine Package“.
You can ensure the best advice for your child’s growth and development when you subscribe to Dr Gibby‘s package.
Dr Hasmi is providing a “family doctor” package, for one full year at just 4990 Indian Rupees.
I am offering a weight loss package too. If you are overweight, or obese and have tried several times to lose the extra fat, this package is for you! It has even worked for persons with diabetes, high blood pressure, high uric acid, high cholesterol, and fatty liver disease.
UPDATE: We just launched the “Perfect pregnancy package” along with the “Women’s Health” package.
I hope you now understand the benefits of subscribing to a doctor’s package plan. If you have any questions, kindly shoot them in the comments section below.