Good morning. It's Wednesday, March 11. Welcome to this week's Health & Medicine newsletter. Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here or click here to share with friends. |
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This week, we'll be thinking about restoring balance and clarity, however that may look for individuals navigating their healthcare journeys. We're tackling the increasingly popular membership-based healthcare model, concierge medicine, examining its evolution and the latest developments. This bespoke approach was first tried 30 years ago in Seattle, Washington, and has taken off in recent years as a way to get more personalized care and finance smaller medical practices. We'll also be diving into the complexities and latest thinking about vertigo and hearing loss.
Do you have thoughts about last week's edition or hopes for future topics I'll tackle? Drop me a line. Wishing you all a salubrious week ahead!
P.S. Has the time change left you sluggish? Read everything we've learned about Circadian Rhythms.
—Dina Fine Maron, 1440 Health & Medicine Section Editor |
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Paying to Skip the Waiting Room |
What's concierge medicine?
Concierge medicine is a membership model of healthcare in which patients pay a recurring fee on top of their insurance, copay, and deductibles. These fees may average around $3,500 annually, and come with the promise of around-the-clock access, same-day and longer appointments, and more personalized care. Some practices offer clinician house calls. Older, medically complex patients and patients with challenging schedules make up the majority of concierge medicine subscribers.
The concept of concierge care—sometimes referred to as retainer medicine or VIP medicine—is often traced to the 1996 establishment of MD2 International, a medical office in Seattle, Washington. By 2005, it was charging $13,000 per year for an annual membership. Concierge medical practices, including direct primary care ones that require membership fees but also don't take insurance, grew swiftly between 2018 and 2023—increasing an estimated 83%. Physician assistants and nurse practitioners are now seeing many of the patients in these concierge practices, a change from earlier concierge medicine models but consistent with a larger healthcare shift in which more nonphysicians are seeing patients.
Supporters say the concierge model offers comprehensive, improved care, and its smaller patient load combats physician burnout. Critics contend that concierge care widens healthcare inequity and worsens primary care physician shortages by making it harder for people to see primary care physicians outside of membership-based offerings as more doctors move to concierge practices.
Explore everything else we've found on Concierge Medicine.
Also, check out ...
> Concierge medicine offerings are growing on college campuses. (Read)
> Over 20 years ago, the Government Accountability Office considered whether concierge medicine threatens the future of Medicare. (Read)
> By 2036, the US may face tens of thousands of primary care shortages. (Read)
> Doctors report wanting more time to plan, provide care for patients. (Read) |
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Why's Everything Spinning? |
Vertigo 101
Vertigo is a common subtype of dizziness that causes people to feel like they're spinning. That feeling can be sudden and last for seconds, minutes, or even days. It's often caused by irregularities in the vestibular system, the sensory system in the inner ear governing our body's sense of stability.
Common triggers include viruses that cause inflammation in the inner ear and a condition called BPPV—benign paroxysmal positional vertigo—which occurs when tiny calcium carbonate crystals in the inner ear migrate into the ear's semicircular canals, sending irregular nerve impulses to the brain. Another common cause is Ménière's disease, which also involves balance issues, hearing loss, tinnitus, and a feeling of fullness in one ear.
Vertigo, which comes from the Latin "vertere," meaning "to turn," can also be a side effect of certain medications or a symptom of a stroke, a tumor, or migraines. Some patients may be treated with specific exercises, medication, and, rarely, surgery.
Explore everything else we've found on Vertigo.
Also, check out ...
> See this first-person virtual reality view of vertigo. (Watch)
> Vertigo can last for minutes—or months—and may occur periodically. (Read)
> Vertigo is a mismatch of information between the eyes and the ears. (Listen)
> Pets can experience vertigo, particularly older dogs. (Read) |
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Hearing loss, explained
Hearing loss is the partial or total inability to hear sound from one or both ears. The condition has grown increasingly common in recent years due to population aging, increased noise exposure, and unsafe listening habits. Loud sounds can cause inner ear hair cells to bend and eventually die over time. More than 5% of the world's population, or some 430 million people, have disabling hearing loss.
For many people with hearing loss, hearing aids can amplify sound and help improve quality of life. These electronic devices can also stave off other injuries since untreated hearing loss amplifies the risk of dementia, cognitive decline, and falls.
Deaf people, meaning those with little or no hearing, may use one of the more than 300 global sign languages to communicate. Cochlear implants are another option, and they have become increasingly affordable. They help deaf people experience the sensation of sound by converting it into electrical impulses that are sent on to the auditory nerve (bypassing inner ear cells entirely). The auditory nerve then transmits those impulses to the brain. The implant uptake has sparked controversy over maintaining aspects of deaf culture and promoting sign language education.
Explore everything else we've found on Hearing Loss.
Also, check out ...
> See what different decibel levels mean for hearing loss. (Read)
> Big Ocean is breaking barriers as the world's first deaf K-pop boy band. (Watch)
> More than 90% of US deaf children are born to hearing parents. (Read)
> Hearing loss is linked with brain volume reductions. (Read)
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Medical Developments Spotlight |
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We love spending time learning about the latest medical breakthroughs and spotlighting research that piques our interest, may influence future research directions, or inform healthcare conversations. Here's what we found this week.
> Forever chemicals linked to accelerating aging in middle-aged men
The Scientist | RJ Mackenzie. Exposure to common hard-to-breakdown synthetic chemicals used in food packaging and nonstick frying pans may accelerate biological aging, particularly in men ages 50 to 64. That's according to research published in "Frontiers in Aging." Researchers suggest the chemicals, called PFAS—perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances—may boost inflammation and fuel molecular changes. Limiting the use of stain-resistant products and consistently using water filters could help reduce exposures. (Read)
> Pregnant brains shed gray matter, perhaps explaining 'baby brain'
The Independent | Maryam Zakir-Hussain. The brain area involved in processing information and emotions decreases by an average of almost 5% during pregnancy, per new findings based on 127 pregnant women in Spain and comparison brain scans of nonpregnant women. Researchers suggest this mostly temporary change—the brain hadn't fully returned to its normal size six months after pregnancy—seems to be associated with self-reported improved bonding and less hostility toward the child postpartum. The brain reductions may be an evolutionary adaptation to shift neural resources and emotions during that phase of life. (Read)
> Almost half of US adults are happy to use ChatGPT for mental health counseling
AI and Society | Study authors. In a survey of nearly 31,000 adults, 42% of US adults and 61% of adults across 35 countries reported they'd be happy to use large language models like ChatGPT for mental health support. What's more, 30% of US respondents and 45% of respondents worldwide said they'd be fine with ChatGPT acting as their doctor. Women were less willing than men to delegate these responsibilities to AI. (Read)
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"We combine singing, dancing, and sign language to create an inclusive experience for everyone." |
—PJ, the lead singer of Big Ocean, the world’s first K-pop boy band with hearing loss |
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