The main thing is that the doctor is adequate and professional.
Recently, in Ukraine, more and more primary care physicians choose private practice. As experience shows, this is both effective and convenient. And for both the doctor and the patient. The first gets the opportunity to earn money and effectively manage their time, the second – a more efficient and individual approach in terms of service.
Doctor Booster decided not to stand aside from the topic of private medicine and help doctors not only conduct their business effectively, but also share the experience of those professionals who have already achieved success in this field.
The first doctor who agreed to tell us about his achievements was an active user of our application, therapist Anatoly Kornutyak. Together with his wife Yulia, he opened a private practice in the Irpin region (Irpin, Bucha, Vorzel, Gostomel, Stoyanka, Gorenka, Kotsyubinskoye, etc.) and already fully understood how it is to “work for yourself” in medicine.
– Anatoly, as far as we know, you and your wife worked in both public and private medical institutions. Why did you suddenly decide to open a private practice?
– Yes, we really worked first in state institutions, then in private ones. But it is still unrealistic to earn decent money for your work there. In public clinics, there was simply poor funding, in private ones – you work a lot, but you get a penny. Therefore, we decided to work all the same directly with the client. Indeed, in this case, financial motivation is higher, and the results of the treatment itself are more effective. After all, the patient perceives you as a personal doctor, listens more, trusts.
– Many doctors are afraid to leave their homes, to lose clients. Weren’t you afraid to start from scratch?
– Of course, it was scary to go into private practice. Moreover, we moved from Kiev to Irpen – a new city where no one knew us. There were times when we had one consultation in two days. But we knew that we just had to wait, and time and our experience will take their toll.
– Did you have any difficulties with the registration of FLP? How difficult is it for a doctor in Ukraine to register as a private entrepreneur?
– In fact, everything is not as difficult as it might seem. FLP you register only one day. Two weeks is required to obtain a license to practice medicine, provided that you have the necessary premises.
But, the main thing when moving into private practice is not this. The main thing is that the doctor was adequate, knew his business and was a professional. If you are a professional, then after a couple of weeks or months you have clients who can give you a recommendation. And it’s worth a lot. After all, you can attract a patient with simple marketing methods. But, if the doctor does not solve the client’s problem, then he can lose him as quickly as he got it.
– Can you name the disadvantages and advantages of private medical practice? Are there any difficulties you are still facing?
– There are difficulties. After all, a private doctor needs to combine the positions of a doctor, an administrator, and a manager. And this is hard work. You have to work virtually without rest, especially at first.
– With such a load, how do you organize your working day? Do you use any gadgets, mobile apps, MISs that help you manage your work schedule?
– Previously, we used only paper gliders. But I was constantly looking for an electronic medical system that would suit us for maintaining a patient database. I reviewed the products of almost all developers that are on the market. But everything is geared towards clinics and private medical centers. There is no such product in Ukraine that would be convenient for a private doctor to use.
The only hope in this regard is Doctor Booster. Despite the fact that there is still a lot of work to be done, it is at least close to the product that should be.
With the help of Doctor Booster, I have already created electronic records for more than 120 patients.
– In your opinion, what should Doctor Booster be like in order to fully meet the needs of a private doctor?
– Ideally, this should be an MIS for doctors, which should work synchronously both on a computer and as an application for a smartphone. In this case, the patient in the system must be registered once, and that’s it. After that, several doctors can get access to his electronic card at once. For example, my wife and I have many common patients. And while we have to register two different cards on them, in which records are kept in parallel. My wife does not see what I write, I do not see what she writes. If Doctor Booster synchronizes our access to patient data, then the application will take a big step in the right direction for the private doctor.
– Have you entered into an agreement with the NSZU as part of the medical reform?
– We haven’t concluded yet, but there is such a desire.
– And how do you feel about medical reform in general? Do you think she has a future?
– I believe that the medical reform will be promising if the Ministry of Health increases funding for servicing one patient.