Suzanne McGee
07/01/2005
Finding the right specialists is critical for patients diagnosed with
complicated or life-threatening diseases. Many concierge doctors maintain that
they can help a client navigate the exclusive world of top specialists and
cutting-edge hospitals. But some patients may not need—or even benefit from—this
type of assistance. Patients should not necessarily expect a concierge doctor to
be an express lane to the top specialists. In fact, many specialists may not
want primary care physicians sitting in on patient consultations. Furthermore, a
concierge physician cannot guarantee you faster access to a top specialist than
your existing network of contacts could provide—nor that the specialist you will
see will be the top person in the field, rather than just the person with whom
the physician has the best relationship. Even some concierge doctors realize
that their well-connected patients can often open more doors than they can.Photography by David Allen Brandt.
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