7 Ways Patients Experience Care Differently Under the agilon health Model

America’s seniors don’t just want better healthcare; they want a more comprehensive, holistic kind of healthcare that recognizes and treats the whole self, not just a disease. Time and again, seniors are finding that model of care through agilon health’s partnerships with independently owned physician groups.

Our latest patient survey confirms that those patients are also seeing results, with 94 percent agreeing that they’re receiving comprehensive, high-quality care through their agilon health-partnered Primary Care Physician (PCP). Whether in a survey or in one-on-one conversations, patients are also detailing exactly what factors are contributing to their immense sense of satisfaction:

1. Patients stick with their Primary Care Physician

Time and again, loyalty and longevity prove to be the hallmarks of doctor-patient relationships under the agilon care model. In a survey of patients conducted by agilon in Fall 2021, 79 percent of the survey’s 12,835 respondents reported having been with their PCP for a minimum of six years, while 94 percent reported that they plan on staying with their PCP for at least three years into the future.

2. Patients know their PCP is there when they need them

Our internal survey found that doctor accessibility is prized by patients cared for by agilon health’s partners. Ninety-one percent of them say they’re satisfied with their ability to access their PCP (whether via phone call, patient portal, telehealth or in-person visit) when they have questions or need care—a belief that holds up when put into practice, as 89 percent of respondents similarly reported seeking out their PCP for help in navigating specialty care.

3. Patients experience fewer hospitalizations

Meet Gary and Fran.

In 2009, Gary—a 71-year-old patient at Preferred Primary Care Physicians (PPCP), an independently owned group of physicians in the greater Pittsburgh area—was diagnosed with amyloidosis and multiple myeloma. While he successfully underwent chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, those treatments led to the development of several chronic conditions, including COPD and heart failure.

Despite all this, under the care of PPCP’s Dr. Bhavank Doshi, Gary has only had two unplanned hospitalizations during the last 12 years. In fact, he has been successfully diverted from hospitalizations six times just in the last two years. “It is such a wonderful program,” Gary’s wife, Fran, says about the total care model. “On days when everything seemed overwhelming, that support has really helped us. It’s been a blessing.”

4. Patients’ PCPs are at the center, not the sidelines, of their care team

The Total Care Model allows the Primary Care Physician to focus on the entire health of their patients, ultimately improving health outcomes for seniors. In Gary’s case, for example, Dr. Doshi recommended him for Complex Care Management (CCM), a care management system that, as Dr. Doshi notes,“develops personalized treatment plans for eligible patients, taking into consideration all of their care needs, including social support, disease management, transitions of care and advanced care planning.” The program also provides patients with a complex care manager who works closely with them; Linda Smith, Manager of Complex Care Management, says, “Our whole team at PPCP has gotten to know Gary very well because of the total care model and CCM in particular. He’s really touched up every aspect of the program and he and his wife have been a joy to work with.”

5. Patients learn to become their own health advocates and self-manage care

An empowered patient is, put simply, a healthier and happier patient. Fran notes that under the care of PPCP, “Gary has become more educated about his conditions and now knows how to manage some of the symptoms on his own. He is physically stronger and his whole attitude has changed. He is definitely more positive.

6. Patients’ quality of life noticeably improves

Gary and Fran with their grandchildren in Myrtle Beach.

Patients treated under the agilon care model experience not just better health outcomes, but as a result, better life outcomes. For Gary, that meant traveling for the first time in more than 10 years to enjoy a family vacation in Myrtle Beach with his and Fran’s sons and grandchildren. While Gary can now look back on the trip as “a wonderful family memory,” Fran notes that the vacation was only made possible through the hands-on support of Gary’s care team at PPCP, which worked closely with the couple to cover any possible health scenarios that might have surfaced. Says Fran, “We couldn’t have made the trip without their help.”

7. Patients tell others about the care they’ve received and recommend their PCPs to friends and family

Perhaps the most critical question in our Fall 2021 patient survey was the one that asked, “How likely are you to recommend your Primary Care Physician to a friend, family member or colleague?” We measured responses by tabulating a Net Promoter Score (NPS), a “gold standard” yardstick of customer loyalty used across a vast array of industries, which is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors (those who report being unlikely to recommend their PCP) from the percentage of promoters (those who say they would recommend their PCP).

The agilon health Total Care Model earned an NPS of +80.3—outperforming NPS scores recently earned by such beloved brands as Starbucks (+77), Apple (+63) and Costco (+45).

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