What is Direct Primary Care?
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is an alternative payment and practice model for primary care services. The focus of a DPC practice is putting the personal relationship back into patient care which includes access to your actual physician. DPC physicians offer services for a flat monthly rate instead of a traditional fee for service arrangement. DPC physicians do not file insurance claims. Instead, DPC physicians work directly with the patient instead of the insurance corporations to offer increased access to care, faster scheduling, more time with your physician, and better and more cost effective options for medications, labs, imaging studies, and more.
Covered Services
Primary Care (Internal Medicine)
What is Internal Medicine?
Internal medicine is the field of medical practice focused on the primary and specialty medical care of the adult patient. Internal medicine physicians apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients. The scope of practice includes acute and chronic illnesses, disease prevention, screening, patient education and follow-up care from hospitalization.
Commonly treated conditions include:
- Headache (Migraine)
- Post Concussive Syndrome
- Sinus Issues
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
- Pneumonia
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Peptic Ulcer Disease
- Constipation/Diarrhea
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Hypertension
- Hyperlipidemia
- Heart Disease
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Hyper- or Hypothyroidism
- Fibromyalgia
- Neck and Back Pain
- Muscle Ache/Pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Anemia
- Anxiety/Depression
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Acute and Chronic Renal Failure
In-Office Procedures
A wide variety of procedures are provided in order to provide patients with the most comprehensive care.
Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment
Osteopathic Cranial Manipulation
Holter Monitor
Cardiac Event Monitor 30-Day
Joint Injections
Cerumen (Ear Wax) Removal
Laceration Repair
Suture Removal
Basic Wound Care
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) / Electric Muscle Stimulation (EMS)
Blood Pressure Assessment
Height/Weight/BMI
Lesion/Wart/Skin Tag Removal
Nebulizer Treatment
Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) refers to the use of portable ultrasound by a medical professional for diagnostic or procedural purposes and is considered by some to be the largest advancement in bedside diagnosis since the advent of the stethoscope. POCUS is a quick, abbreviated study performed and interpreted immediately by the evaluating and treating physician to help answer clinically impactful questions. In the primary care setting, POCUS has shown to aid in the completion of procedures, lower costs, decrease emergency department visits, and reduce the need for further imaging.
In-Office (Point-of-Care) Labs and Testing
In office labs and tests are offered at no cost or discounted prices.
Rapid Influenza
Rapid Strep A
COVID Test
Fecal Occult Blood Test
Urine Drug Test
Glucose
Urine Pregnancy
Urinalysis
Urine Microalbumin
Laboratory Services
We have partnered with independent labs to offer high quality clinical laboratory testing services at discounted prices. Blood serum testing samples are collected in the office and sent to the laboratory. Patients are charged at the time of service.
Saliva and blood spot testing kits are available in the office. Samples are collected and the patient mails the samples and payment to the laboratory.
Pathology Services
We have partnered with an independent pathology laboratory to offer high quality clinical pathology testing services at discounted prices. Biopsy or biopsy-related samples are collected in the office and sent to the pathology laboratory. Patients receive negotiated discounted self-pay prices which are billed to the patient by the pathology laboratory.
In the state of Ohio, Ohio House Bill 493 prevents any physician from client billing biopsies or biopsy-related charges.
Sleep Study Services
Dr. West is a member of the Direct Primary Care Alliance and member physicians obtain special pricing discounts for patients on third-party services including home sleep studies.
We partner with an independent home sleep study outfit where all applicable insurance benefits and any necessary prior authorizations are obtained by the organization. Patients are provided with full good-faith estimates prior to scheduling and are quoted both insurance and self pay pricing.
A home sleep test is shipped directly to the patient’s front door. The two (2) night test measures multiple channels with accurate and reliable results which are manually scored by licensed Polysomnographic Technologists and reviewed by Board Certified Sleep Physicians. Results are available within two (2) business days of receiving the device back from the patient. When the results are ready, a licensed Sleep Coach will call the patient with the results, and a copy of the results will be faxed to our office. Should a patient be diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the faxed results will include a pre-populated order for AutoCPAP therapy with all settings and configurations properly marked. The sleep study outfit will begin to coordinate AutoCPAP setup options for the patient. Special discounted home sleep study and AutoCPAP setup prices available as a direct primary care member patient.
Cardiac Monitoring Services
We partner with an independent cardiac monitoring outfit and offer special pricing to patients.
Patients have monitors placed at the office. Patients are billed at the time of service for the study. Monitors are designed to capture clear and comprehensive ECG tracings during Holter and Extended Holter studies. Patients return the monitors to the office after conclusion of the study period. The data is downloaded and transmitted for interpretation of results. Final report is obtained and reviewed with the patient.
Regenerative Medicine
Direct Primary Care Member Patient’s receive discounted pricing on regenerative medicine platelet rich plasma (PRP) and platelet rich fibrin (PRF) services.
Aesthetic Medicine
Direct Primary Care Member Patient’s receive discounted pricing on facial aesthetic injectables (botulinum toxin and fillers), microneedling and platelet rich plasma (PRP) facial services.
Direct Pharmacy
Medications are ordered in the most cost effective manner possible. We have partnered with multiple pharmacy suppliers to offer medications at discounted prices. Medications are ordered and dispensed from the office to the patient with the patient being charged at the time of service.
Note: The practice does not purchase or possess controlled substances. Any controlled substance will require a prescription. Drugs that are considered controlled substances under the Federal Controlled Substances Act are divided into five schedules (I-V). For more information, including a complete list of controlled substances, please visit: https://www.dea.gov/drug-scheduling.
Patient-Physician Communication
We value communication with our patient’s and consider it an essential component of the patient-physician relationship. We utilize and all-in-one, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) compliant, communication platform called Spruce. Spruce allows for secure and encrypted two-way communication directly with Dr. West and nurse Dian. Patients are able to send and receive photos, videos and PDF attachments. Access to Spruce is available at no cost to Direct Primary Care Member Patients.
Electronic Health Record and Patient Portal
We have adopted the use of Akute Health as our electronic health record (EHR). Akute Health is a modern EHR that empowers Direct Primary Care and treats patients and doctors as the true end users. Akute Health is trusted and utilized by members of the DPC Alliance and is disrupting the electronic health record market by empowering healthcare that is structured around the doctor-patient relationship.
Akute Health allows for electronic medical records, electronic prescription submission, electronic faxing, integration with laboratory and image ordering, direct pharmacy inventory management, centralized patient scheduling and membership management.
Direct Primary Care Member Patients receive the Akute Health Patient Portal which allows access to medical records including office encounter notes, vitals, lab reports and image study results.
Special Pricing on Supplements
Fullscript is an online dispensary that provides patients with access to a wide variety of professional-grade supplements. Special discount pricing on supplements is available to Direct Primary Care Member Patients through Fullscript.
