Inspired by what is happening in the US with the Direct Primary Care movement (DPC), Lotus Medical, is bringing elements of that approach to Canada. Based in Quebec, the company is focusing on designing a better physician as well as patient experience through friendlier office layouts and advanced technologies. They hope to change primary care in Canada.
DPC is Better for Physicians AND Patients
The Direct Primary Care model improves both the physician AND patient experience. Freed from the performance expectations that come with fee-for-service, physicians and their practices can be more innovative in their approach to care – spending more time with patients and adopting technologies that help physicians vs put more burden on them.
The team behind Lotus Medical believed the same benefits could be realized in Canada.
“It was part of the reason why we founded the company,” explained Philippe Marcotte, CEO of Lotus Medical. “We saw what was going on in the US with OneMedical and CarbonHealth, but when we looked at Canada there was none of that. That’s the opportunity.”
Adapting DPC for Canada
Marcotte believes that the time is right for a new approach to primary care in Canada. One that stays within the single-payer, government funded system, but incorporates elements that are common to DPC practices in the US.
“We are bringing in scale, centralization, automation, and technology to create a smoother and more 21st century experience,” stated Marcotte.
Lotus Medical’s flagship facility in Montreal, Quebec features a panoramic view of the city, is directly across from a 24hr pharmacy, and is designed for the comfort and wellbeing of patients AND physicians. Below are photos of the physician workspace and reception area.
For a Canadian physician’s practice, this level of design and function is rare. Most Canadian clinics are utilitarian and spartan, not airy and comforting.
Lotus Medical invests in a well-designed workspace because it reduces stress on physicians and makes their time seeing patients more pleasant. The net effect is a better experience for both the patient and the physician.
Supporting Technology
It is not just the office that Lotus Medical took care to design, they were also thoughtful in terms of the technology that they adopted to support the practice. From Day 1 they offered patients online appointment booking (still uncommon in Canada), an AI-powered chatbot, and patient communication via voice, text, and email.
“It’s all about building tools for physician to reduce the load on them,” said Marcotte. “Tools that are intuitive and easy to use. We also make sure to support them with nurses and administrative staff to do the tasks that the doctors shouldn’t have to do. For Lotus Medical, our customer is the physician. Our customer’s customer are patients.”
Lotus Medical has two clinics in Quebec and plans to expand across Canada.
Watch the full interview with Philippe Marcotte
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