Research shows that people will choose a doctor based on convenience. In this case, convenience means how accessible the doctor is.
It makes sense in terms of time and money too because when you need to see one, you do not want to travel past many towns.
This is why many health centers today serve a large area so that they can bring their services closer to their patients. Long gone are the days when patients had to travel long distances to access care. Today, patients want the health care services to come to them.
If you have foot and ankle problems and you have to see podiatrist Dr. Lanier in Tennessee, you will be happy that he has five centers in the state. You can choose the one closest to you to save money, time, and access the special care that you need faster.
Here are the main benefits of one podiatrist leading multiple locations in Tennessee and elsewhere:
Convenience for the patients
The American Podiatric Medical Association says that on average, 20% of the population in the USA develop at least one foot problem once or more a year.
Foot or ankle pain can occur at any time, in children as well as in grownups. Sometimes, the pain is related to injury that happens at the workplace or school. At other times, it will happen for no plausible reason.
You or one of your family members could experience foot issues at any time. If this happens, nothing gives more peace of mind than knowing that help is easily accessible.
If you are in Nashville, Tennessee, you need a renowned specialist for foot and ankle conditions. You also need them to be as close to your location as possible.
If you experience serious plantar fascia pain at night, you want to know who to call. A doctor in New York will not offer much help if you are in Tennessee. Also, if you are in Nashville, a foot doctor who is almost 400 miles away in Memphis will not help you.
This is why many people appreciate the convenience of having a doctor closeby.
Uniform hospital culture
Hospital culture refers to the beliefs, values, and norms that drive a certain organization. When the organization has branches, they too are expected to operate under the same culture.
For instance, in Nashville, a patient who gets treated in Hermitage by a certain health center can experience the same care, attitude and hospitality if they get treated in another of their centers in Nashville.
Another important thing is the number of services offered, which are again replicated all over the satellite centers.
You can see a podiatrist in Hermitage, who offers services such as bunion removal, sprain treatment, ingrown toenail surgery, and plantar fasciitis treatment.
If the next time you need a check up and you are in Murfreesboro, you can expect the same quality of care in their center.
Today, there are computer applications to keep digital health records. In most cases, all you need is your name and social security number. All of your history will pop up on the computer.
This makes accessing the required foot and ankle care fast and easy.
It is easy to gauge the quality of service from reviews
A podiatrist who leads multiple locations in Tennessee must be a well established person in their line of business.
Therefore, it is easy to get their reviews on Google, or elsewhere. With one center getting tens of appointments a day, you will get many reviews posted online, on BBB and other forums.
One of the norms today is to check for information online before we book an appointment with any doctor. As a result, many people hesitate to see a doctor whose practice is basically new, and without any history.
But a podiatrist with five centers inspires confidence and courage. If they have grown to open five centers, they must be doing something right!
They must also have a number of years behind them in the services because no business grows that fast in one or two years.
They make healthcare more affordable
A bigger podiatric practice can charge better prices than an upcoming one.
This is the same reason that big retail brands sometimes offer up to 70% discounts on their pricing and still stay afloat.
A podiatrist with five centers would be more willing to offer discounts from time to time to return patients, first time patients, and others.
Their intention is not making healthcare accessible only, but they also want to make it more affordable. Next time you have a foot or ankle issue, ask whether your podiatrist is offering a discount.
Another way that a well established podiatrist with five or more centers makes healthcare affordable is offering many services under the same roof.
Whether you need advanced foot surgery, skin care, general footcare, or simple bunion removal, you will appreciate finding these services under one roof.
Conclusion
When a foot or ankle emergency arises, you want to see a podiatrist as soon as possible, within the hour.
Unfortunately, most are never there when you need them, or they are fully booked. But it would be hard to miss a spot when you call a podiatrist who has five centers in Tennessee.
If one of their centers is fully booked, they can refer you to another one of theirs where you will be attended to within the hour.
Anytime you need specialized foot and ankle care, call a podiatrist who has a few centers in one city. There are more chances of getting a spot that way, than when you call a start-up podiatrist.