ABSTRACT
It is not easy for physicians to transition from a traditional medical practice into concierge medicine. Some physicians are tempted to start a concierge practice but are not sure that their patient base will support this. The shortage of primary care physicians will be exacerbated if there is a mass exodus from busy mature practices into the smaller panels of concierge practices. It is not unusual for a busy physician to downsize from 2,000–3,000 patients to 200–300 patients during the transition to concierge medicine. HealthTexas Provider Network performs an assessment of capacity in the geographic proximity, and delays or discourages the opening of new concierge practices until this capacity is found to be adequate. Existing patients of a physician who leaves a traditional practice for the concierge model are often anxious about leaving their physician. They may push for early appointments with their newly adopted physician, which can strain the schedules of those physicians.
