THAT’S BUSINESS

Studies uphold personalized approach to medical care

— Back in November, I wrote a lengthy article about MDVIP, which uses a relatively new approach to personalized care by physicians.

Since then, two studies about MDVIP (medical doctor/value in prevention), a Boca Raton, Fla.-based network of doctors established in 2000, have been published in independent medical journals.

Not surprisingly, the studies - commissioned by MDVIP - uphold its claims to provide better health care.

The formula is simple:Limit a physician’s load to several hundred patients, versus several thousand, which provides more time per person, and administer an extensive annual physical exam.

Peer-reviewed journals,while not infallible, carry weight in their fields.

Primarily, the studies in The American Journal of Managed Care and The International Journal of Person Centered Medicine affirm that hospitalization rates for patients using physicians in the program were significantly lower than rates in national plans, whether public or private.

The study in The American Journal of Managed Care examined those rates in five of the 40 states in which the MDVIP program operates. Inthe test states, rates from 2006 through 2010 ranged from 42 percent to 62 percent lower than in Medicare and non-Medicare plans.

Savings in the five states (New York, Florida, Virginia, Arizona and Nevada) in 2010 totaled $119.4 million, or $2,251 per patient. Those states were the only among the 40 that offer physician specific data, The American Journal said.

The International Journal examined a smaller sample of patients enrolled in the program, 15 practices out of 25 in one state, Arizona. There are about 590 practices with 200,000 patients in the 40 states and the District of Columbia who participate in MDVIP.

Both studies called for more extensive studies to develop more conclusive results.

The approach by MDVIP and others with similar models does have its critics, some of whom accuse them of “cherry picking” - selecting patients who are healthier.

Both studies did cite possible “selection bias.”

“Since MDVIP members pay an annual fee [$1,650] to be a part of an MDVIP-affiliated practice, they may be more interested in wellness and more likely to comply with the physician’s recommendations,” The International Journal said.

The very fact that a physician would choose the approach is an indicator of potential bias, The International Journal study stated.

Nevertheless, the authors of The American Journal conclude: “We believe that the MDVIP personalized preventive care model of smaller practices allows the physician to take a more proactive, rather than reactive, approach.”

Dr. I. Torin Gray of Little Rock is the first in the state to sign up with MDVIP. His participation in the program will start Jan. 29.

Gray says he is approaching his self-imposed limit of 450 patients for his MDVIP practice since he first sent out letters in October telling his clientele his plans. MDVIP normally has a 600-patient limit but can waive that.

“We’re getting close to my goal. We’ll form a waiting list after that. ”

His personal practice numbers more than 3,000 at the Barg-Gray Clinic, he said.

The annual $1,650 fee his MDVIP patients will pay covers the cost of the wellness testing and will help offset the loss in income from the reduced numbers of patients.One- third of the annual fee goes to MDVIP.

Most health insurance plans are compatible with MDVIP membership. The annual fee for the wellness program is generally not covered by insurance, which is still needed for all other healthcare needs.

The other two physicians in the Barg-Gray Clinic will offer services to Gray’s former patients, and another doctor is being recruited for the clinic, Gray said.

Cherry picking?

“Whoever’s interested in it can join up,” Gray says of his revamped practice.

If you have a tip, call Jack Weatherly at (501) 378-3518 or e-mail him at jweatherly@arkansasonline.com

Business, Pages 65 on 01/20/2013

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