A brain aneurysm is a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain. It can be caused by various factors, such as high blood pressure, smoking, genetics or trauma. A typical brain aneurysm does not cause symptoms or problems, except when it ruptures or leaks. Brain aneurysms that rupture can lead to bleeding in the brain, known as subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), which can cause stroke, coma, or even death. For minimizing or preventing damage, aneurysms require prompt diagnosis and treatment.
A direct primary care (DPC) model allows primary care physicians to offer their services directly to their patients, rather than involving insurance companies or third parties. Several primary care services are offered to patients for a monthly or annual fee, including consultations, exams, lab tests, prescriptions, and referrals. In addition to providing more personalized, convenient, and preventive care to patients, DPC can decrease administrative costs and hassles for physicians.
You will need specialized care from neurologists, neurosurgeons, and interventional radiologists if you have a brain aneurysm. DPC can help you manage your brain aneurysm in several ways:
In addition to providing early diagnosis of brain aneurysms, DPC can refer you to a specialist if necessary. Advanced imaging techniques, such as MRI or CT scan, can be used to screen for brain aneurysms by DPC physicians, who typically have more time to spend with each patient. As well as monitoring your risk factors and symptoms, DPC physicians can also look for vision changes, headaches, and high blood pressure.
Besides providing care to your patients, DPC can coordinate it with other providers, including neurologists, neurosurgeons, and interventional radiologists. A DPC physician can also assist you in navigating the complex and confusing health insurance system, and advocate for your best interests. A DPC physician can also inform family members and caregivers about your condition and treatment plan.
After receiving treatment for your brain aneurysm, DPC will provide follow-up care to help you recover. You can rely on DPC physicians to handle any complications or side effects of your treatment, including pain, infection, or cognitive impairment. In addition to physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy, DPC physicians can provide rehabilitation services.
DPC can prevent future episodes of brain aneurysm rupture or bleeding by educating you on how to reduce your risk factors, such as quitting smoking, controlling your blood pressure, managing your cholesterol and avoiding stress. In addition to nutrition counseling, lifestyle coaching, and chronic disease management, DPC physicians also provide preventive and wellness services.
A brain aneurysm patient may benefit from DPC over traditional primary care in several ways:
The membership fee includes lab tests and medications, so you may save money on out-of-pocket expenses for primary care services, such as copays, deductibles, and coinsurance.
Your primary care physician may be available 24/7 by phone, email, or video chat. You may also have shorter waiting times and longer visits with him or her3.
Having a primary care physician who knows you better and has more time to address your concerns and needs may result in more personalized and comprehensive care. You may also be able to get more preventive and wellness services, such as nutritional counseling, lifestyle coaching, or chronic disease management3.
Your primary physician may be more attentive, responsive, and respectful to you, as well as giving you more control and choice over your health care decisions without interference from insurance companies or third parties.
In order to illustrate how DPC can help you manage your ruptured brain aneurysm effectively and efficiently, here is a hypothetical scenario:
While working at her office, Mary develops an intense headache. She calls her doctor’s office but is told that the next appointment is in one week. She decides to go to the emergency room instead, where she will wait several hours for a doctor to see her. For the ruptured brain aneurysm, she would undergo various tests and procedures to confirm her diagnosis. Her intensive care unit would place her on a ventilator while she was hospitalized for three weeks, during which she would be visited by various specialists and nurses. She would have difficulty understanding her condition, treatment and prognosis, and feel anxious and confused. Upon discharge from the hospital, she would be concerned about how she would pay her bills and the cost of her hospital stay. She would have a follow-up appointment with her primary care physician in a month. She would still feel weak and tired, and have trouble speaking and remembering things. She would not be provided with rehabilitation services or home health care. Moreover, she would not be able to prevent future ruptures and bleeding of brain aneurysms or improve her overall health.
Her physician would listen to her symptoms and advise her to go to the emergency room immediately if she called her direct primary care physician's office. In addition to sending her medical records and test results to the hospital, her doctor would communicate about her condition and treatment plan with the emergency room doctor. She would receive treatment for her ruptured brain aneurysm, and be admitted to an intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator. During her three weeks in the hospital, she would receive regular visits from her DPC physician, who would coordinate her care with specialists and nurses. Upon understanding her condition, treatment, and prognosis, she would feel reassured and supported. The DPC physician would also assist her with dealing with her insurance company and hospital bills. She would be discharged from the hospital and return home. She would have a follow-up appointment the following week. Even though she would still feel weak and tired, she would have improved her speech and memory skills thanks to her DPC physician, who would provide her with speech therapy and cognitive therapy. She would also receive physical therapy and occupational therapy from her DPC physician, who would visit her at home or at her office. Her DPC physician would also provide her with education, resources, and support so that she could prevent future episodes of brain aneurysm rupture or bleeding.
DPC can provide you with more personalized, convenient and preventative care for your brain aneurysm than traditional primary care, as you can see. However, it is important to note that DPC is not a substitute for health insurance, since it does not cover major medical expenses such as hospitalization, surgery, or specialty care. When you are in need of these services in an emergency or a serious illness, you should always have health insurance.
A brain aneurysm is a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain that can cause bleeding in the brain if it ruptures or leaks. It is important to diagnose a brain aneurysm and treat it immediately to prevent or minimize damage. The primary care model of direct primary care (DPC) allows physicians to charge their patients directly for their services. You can manage your brain aneurysm with DPC's early detection, referral, coordination, follow-up, rehabilitation, and prevention services. The benefits of DPC include lower costs, better access, more personalized care, and more satisfaction than traditional primary care. However, DPC cannot replace health insurance because major medical expenses are not covered.
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