Concierge Doctors vs. Primary Care Doctors: What's the Difference?

As a concierge doctor, I often get asked how my practice differs from a traditional primary care doctor.  

It's a great question because, despite being around for over 20 years, concierge medicine remains a misunderstood concept in healthcare. 

The key difference isn't about the doctors themselves — both traditional and concierge doctors are family or internal medicine physicians. Within both models, you’ll find capable doctors who strive to provide the best possible care to their patients. 

Instead, the difference between concierge medicine and traditional primary care is centered on each model’s approach to patient care. While traditional primary care is often focused on volume, concierge medicine emphasizes quality time and personalized attention for each patient. 

Here are the five keyways concierge doctors practice differently from traditional primary care doctors: 

1. See fewer patients overall.
2. Spend more time with each patient during appointments.
3. Dedicate time each day for sudden acute care appointments.
4. Guarantee 24/7/365 access to care.
5. Provide more in-depth annual physicals.

1. Reduced patient load: Concierge doctors focus on personalized care. 

The typical traditional primary care physician maintains a patient panel of 2,000+ and sees 20+ patients a day. Their revenue comes mostly through medical services paid for by health insurance reimbursements.

By contrast, the membership fee that patients pay allows concierge doctors to reduce the size of their panels.

Typically, a concierge physician has a panel of 400-600 patients and sees 6-10 per day. With a membership fee, concierge doctors don’t have to see dozens of patients per day to make sure they get enough revenue from health insurance reimbursements.

This doesn’t mean that concierge doctors work any less. In fact, we spend about the same number of working hours, it’s just parceled out differently.

2. Extended appointment times: Concierge doctors spend more time with patients.

In traditional primary care, doctors try to squeeze 20+ patients into an 8-10 hour workday. Factor in time for lunch and administrative tasks, and the math becomes simple: it’s hard to spend more than 10 minutes with most patients.

Because concierge doctors reduce the size of their patient panel, they also reduce the number of appointments they have per day and increase the amount of time with each patient.

Most concierge practices guarantee appointments that last at least 30 minutes, and if a patient has a complex issue, that time can often stretch longer.

Concierge medicine allows doctors to go back to practicing medicine without feeling rushed and with a complete focus on the patient in front of them, free from the pressure of generating health insurance reimbursements.

Instead of fast-paced appointments and associated paperwork, concierge doctors have more time allocated for meaningful patient interaction.

3. Immediate access: Concierge doctors reserve time for urgent appointments. 

With a stacked panel of thousands, one of the main complaints about traditional primary care is the inability to quickly get an appointment when they need it the most – when they are acutely ill.

While a traditional primary care doctor’s schedule might be booked days and weeks in advance, concierge doctors keep a block of time open each day for sudden acute care visits. At PartnerMD, we guarantee same-day or next-day scheduling for acute care visits.

That way, if a patient calls in sick at 8 p.m. or wakes up with a nasty cough or a sore throat, they know they can get an appointment quickly to see their doctor.

4. 24/7 availability: Concierge doctors offer around-the-clock care.

In addition to longer appointments that are easier to secure, concierge doctors are more accessible than traditional primary care physicians. Most concierge practices guarantee some form of 24/7/365 access to care.

It might be access to a direct cell phone. It might be access to a doctor from the practice. Or it might be a third-party answering service or nurse line.

People don’t get sick only within business hours, and in traditional primary care, this can lead to lost voicemails and trips to urgent care.

As a concierge physician, providing 24/7 access is a tradeoff we make to deliver the kind of care we know our patients want. How each concierge practice manages this can vary slightly.

For example, at PartnerMD, as a larger practice, I’m responsible for my own patients most of the time and then pitch in on a rotation to cover on-call after-hours, overnight, and on weekends.

The result is that patients have peace of mind in knowing they will get the care they need when they need it, whether it’s 2 p.m. on a Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. on a Thursday, or 3 a.m. on a Saturday.

5. Comprehensive physicals: The in-depth health assessments by concierge doctors. 

Concierge medicine is about time. Another area where the difference comes through is with the annual physical.

With a traditional doctor, you may have a 20-30 minute physical with the same basic tests and screenings every year. Then, you wait a few days or weeks and the results are uploaded into a portal or delivered by a nurse over the phone. It often feels like a check-the-box approach for patients.

With a concierge doctor, annual physicals go above and beyond what most patients have ever experienced. They typically last at least 60-90 minutes, but some practices offer even more advanced tests and screenings.

At PartnerMD, your membership includes our Classic Physical exam, which lasts 60-90 minutes and includes an extended conversation with your physician.  

We also offer two upgraded options that include additional advanced tests and screenings: an Enhanced Physical, which lasts up to a half-day, and a Signature Physical, which lasts up to a full-day.  

When it’s time to review your results, a concierge doctor has the time to review them in detail and explain what they mean for you. 

Further, because your physician has a detailed understanding of your health, family history, and any areas of concern, they may recommend personalized tests and screenings each year to gain deeper insights into your current health and future risk. 

Concierge doctors vs. Primary care doctors: Your next steps

Concierge medicine offers a distinct approach to healthcare by prioritizing personalized attention and accessibility.  

With fewer patients, longer appointments, and same-day or next-day availability for acute care, concierge doctors create a patient-centered experience that is often lacking in traditional primary care. 

Patients benefit from 24/7 access to care, which provides peace of mind and flexibility for those with busy schedules or chronic conditions.  

Additionally, the comprehensive physicals offered by concierge doctors allow for a more in-depth understanding of your health, tailored to your unique needs and history. 

If you’re seeking a healthcare model that emphasizes personalized care and accessibility, concierge medicine may be the right choice for you.  

To explore how concierge medicine can enhance your healthcare experience, download our "Understanding Concierge Medicine" ebook and take the first step toward more personalized and accessible care.