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Shared Medical Visits. What Is a Shared Medical Visit?. A shared medical visit is usually a 90-minute medical visit that is shared with 8 to 15 other patients Your doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant is there Other members of your healthcare team may also be there
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What Is a Shared Medical Visit? • A shared medical visit is usually a 90-minute medical visit that is shared with 8 to 15 other patients • Your doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant is there • Other members of your healthcare team may also be there • During a shared visit, you still get your own time to be examined and talk about personal issues privately with your doctor
Conditions That Are Often the Focus of Shared Visits • Weight control • Diabetes • High blood pressure • Heart disease • Asthma • Depression • Osteoporosis • Multiple sclerosis • Sleep problems • Women’s health • Well-care or “preventive care” (physicals, annual exams)
Benefits • You get to see healthcare providers who are experts on different topics like: • Disease management • Medication taking • Healthy eating • Behavior and lifestyle changes • You get help and tips from other patients who have the same condition and can learn more when you hear: • What other patients are going through • What they ask • The way they fix their problems • You get more face time with your doctor than you would in a regular visit and usually feel less rushed
These Types of Visits can… • Make you happier with your doctor • Make your relationship with your doctor better • Cut back visits to specialists • Help you do better with your health • Help you stay on top of your medicines • Help you take better care of yourself • Make you happier in general
These Visits Are Your Choice and Are Kept Private • Your own medical history and condition(s) are NOT shared with the group as a whole • If you want to, you can share your story with other patients • You sign a special form (called a “HIPAA” notice) for the group visit that states that you: • Agree to meet with a group of patients and your doctor • Understand that you have the choice to be seen by your doctor in this group or alone • Agree to keep everything that you hear about other patients in the group private • Agree to pay your co-pay or bill for the group visit
What Other Patients Are Saying About Shared Visits • “I like this type of visit because I get to hear other patients’ questions” • “It was calming to know that there are other people out there with the same problem I have” • “I liked the fact that I did not have to wait that long for an appointment, and I learned a lot while I was there” • “This was a very professional team and a very informative appointment”
The Benefits of Shared Visits: A Recap • Longer appointments in a private, less formal setting with other patients who bring up questions you may not have thought to ask or may be uncomfortable asking • You get private time with your doctor and shared time during the same appointment; in some cases, you can have tests done and can get results right away, saving you another trip to the office • Every part of the shared visit is set up to give you as much time as possible with your doctor