What's the Difference Between a PartnerMD Physical and a Regular Primary Care Physical?

When it comes to managing your healthcare, your annual physical exam is an important part of maintaining your health and wellness. 

You’re probably familiar with the standard primary care physician physical, which can last up to 30 minutes. While it’s great you visited the doctor, these exams can leave you needing more personalized attention, especially if you have a precondition or are trying to better your health. 

This isn’t the fault of the physicians. It’s just how the traditional model is set up.  

You may wonder what else is out there that can help you bypass this problem. One solution is concierge medicine. Annual physicals at a concierge practice often last longer and include additional tests and screenings.  

At PartnerMD, we include a two-hour physical in the cost of your membership. We also offer the ability to upgrade your physical to a half-day or full-day physical, which include more in-depth labs and advanced tests and screenings that dive deep into your health.  

In this article, we will explore the key differences between a physical at PartnerMD and a physical at a traditional primary care practice. We’ll focus on the differences in medical assessments, the quality of relationships with physicians, and the follow-up care and support offered. 

The Traditional primary care physical

The traditional primary care physical is a routine examination that provides an overview of your health, but it is often limited by time constraints.

Shorter time with physicians

Annual physical exams at a traditional primary care practice can be short. During this time, your physician will be thorough but often under the pressure of a tight schedule.

The need to manage 20+ patients on the same day can lead to feeling rushed, which may not allow you to ask all the important questions you may have regarding your health and results.

This is important to keep in mind as you prepare questions and concerns. This isn’t the physicians’ fault. They would love to spend more time with their patients, but time doesn’t allow them this luxury. It’s just how the system works.

Comprehensive assessments

A physician will conduct a thorough physical examination to provide a snapshot of your well-being. Some of these assessments include:

• Vital sign check: Measurement of blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, and body temperature.
• Cardiac and pulmonary evaluations: Your doctor will listen to your heart and lungs to ensure no irregularities.
• Laboratory tests: These tests include a chemistry panel like a metabolic test, urinalysis, and a complete blood count to detect any underlying issues.

Follow-up and coordination of care

After the physical, your physician will usually contact you to discuss your results. However, due to their packed schedules, it may take a while to receive follow-up discussion information. Reaching out to your physician instead for further clarification can also be challenging.

This is also because of their packed schedules. Unfortunately, this may lead to delays in your ongoing care management and the next steps to better health. Again, this isn’t the physician’s fault. They want to be there for you. It’s just difficult to do in this system. 

Annual physicals at PartnerMD

At PartnerMD, annual physicals are designed to go beyond the basics, providing extended time with your physician to ensure a thorough understanding of your overall health and wellness.

Extended time with your physicians

At PartnerMD, your health and time is our priority. Our physicals aren’t just about checking off a list of medical tests, we take the extra time to fully understand what’s going on in your life and the full picture of your health and wellness.

Each base physical at PartnerMD is scheduled for two hours. This includes a 60-90 minute dedicated one-on-one session with your physician. This allows for a thorough discussion of your health history, concerns, and goals, which are important for treating or preventing diseases and fostering a healthier you.

“Our physicals are valuable. It’s an opportunity to screen for general health conditions in more detail,” PartnerMD physician Dr. Jennifer Tutt says. “When it comes to health, it’s all about maintenance. It’s important to ‘know your numbers’ so that you can make better decisions regarding your health and possibly get ahead of a potential chronic illness.”

Comprehensive assessments: Beyond the basics

Traditional primary care physicals can miss critical health insights. PartnerMD’s physicals include all standard components plus additional elements for a more thorough evaluation. 

However, we also incorporate additional elements for a more thorough physical. This allows you to personalize and upgrade your physical even further for a more detailed view of your health. These physicals require an out-of-pocket expense.  

• Enhanced Physicals: Lasts for half a day, and you receive everything you receive within our base physical plus insight into your heart health through a Cleveland HeartLab Advanced Cardiac Profile and up to two advanced customization options
• Signature Physicals: This is the gold standard of physicals. It lasts for a full day and provides a complete picture of your health. You get up to six additional customization options.

Wellness and health coaching during your physical

At PartnerMD, we understand that achieving and maintaining your health extends beyond the doctor’s office.

That’s why we include a 60-minute annual wellness assessment as part of your physical. This comprehensive evaluation, conducted by one of our health coaches, identifies the key areas to focus on to help you reach your health goals.   

Making the correct choice for your health

Choosing the right physical is crucial to improving your health and wellness. At PartnerMD, we use the information from your physical to build a roadmap to better health with additional resources like your physician, your health coach, and Wellness University.

We give you tools to get to work on improving your health and living a healthier lifestyle. Want to learn more about our physical exams at PartnerMD to embark on a new health journey?

Click here and fill out the form. One of our membership experts will reach out soon to answer all your questions.