Myth 1: DispatchHealth Will “Steal” My Patient, Taking Over Their Primary Care
At DispatchHealth, we deliver same-day medical care right to our patients’ homes, providing them with the high-acuity care they need when they need it. One of the commonly asked questions is how we collaborate and coordinate care with a patient’s primary care provider—for example, is it our goal to assume the role of our patients’ doctors? The short answer is not—we’re here to integrate our at-home medical services with primary care providers, not replace them. In this article, we’ll break down one of the most common myths that people may believe about DispatchHealth: that we want to “steal” patients and take over care from their primary care doctors.
How We Work With Primary Care Providers
DispatchHealth works in collaboration with primary care and specialty providers, acting as an adjunct to their care. When a patient is unable to receive care from their regular provider—whether due to the office being closed, transportation issues, or being too unwell to leave home to visit their doctor—DispatchHealth is here to help. We can treat a patient’s acute medical needs, providing them with convenient healthcare services from experienced medical professionals. Following our visit, we will arrange appropriate follow-up care with the patient’s primary care or specialty provider and complete a detailed clinical summary that explains the medical treatment rendered and the follow-up care we recommended.
In short, our goal is to be an extension of the medical service you’re already providing for your patients, offering the swift medical care your patients need while collaborating with you to ensure seamless continuity of care. Once we’ve finished helping your patient, they will return to you for follow-up care and ongoing healthcare management.
How Our Process Works
DispatchHealth makes it easy and convenient to receive at-home medical care—healthcare providers and patients can use our app or website or call us on the phone to request service. One of our clinicians will learn more about the patient’s symptoms and then, if appropriate, schedule a visit. Within two hours, a team consisting of a medical technician and either a physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner will arrive at the patient’s home with a medical kit equipped with many of the same tools and technologies as an emergency room. Our medical teams can:
Treat many acute and chronic conditions, from simple coughs and colds to more complex ailments like COPD exacerbations.
Complete a wide range of diagnostic tests, including blood tests, COVID-19 tests, strep tests, urinalysis, and more
Conduct minor medical procedures, such as breathing treatments, IV fluids, G-tube placements, splinting, sutures, and staples, among others
When the medical team is finished, they will call in any prescriptions and send the clinical summary to the patient’s primary care and specialty providers. They can also coordinate follow-up care as needed, from scheduling imaging tests to arranging a visit with a specialist.
Contact us today if you want to learn more about how DispatchHealth collaborates with primary care and specialty providers to deliver well-rounded medical care to patients.
For life-threatening and time-sensitive injuries and illnesses, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. DispatchHealth shouldn’t be used in a life-threatening emergency and doesn’t replace a primary care provider.
