Why Choose Direct-Care by a General Practitioner-Laboratory Medicine Specialist

The first and foremost duty of a physician is to educate or inform his patients, while keeping the patient safe or doing no harm to the patient.

Dr. Jackson Gates, MD, The General Practitioner and Laboratory Medicine Physician who is a MEDICAL CONSULTANT FOR PATIENTS, and who treats the whole patient, not being confined to a desk in a cubicle or laboratory.

The ‘Days of Old’ are long gone, when the laboratory medicine specialists are only called upon to diagnose cancer (by biopsy and/or removal of part or whole ORGAN) or determine the cause of death which can be morbid! Patients may not need that biopsy or removal of that organ which can not be replaced in its native state!

TRY PREVENTATIVE HEALTH-CARE Through MDC-ATLANTA

With the advent of the modern internet, social media, and rapidly and consistently rising health care costs, patients are taking on diligent efforts to become more informed about their health care, and having a willingness to partner with a provider who will help them manage their overall care. The model for this relationship is termed,

“Patient-Centered Medical Home-PCMH

Direct Patient Care.”

Dr. Jackson Gates promotes “homeostasis, pragmatic medical care, through general adult preventative care” where the goal is to PREVENT disease altogether or detect disease in its earliest stage, similar to the human body using different organic systems to keep the entire human being  in BALANCE and functioning appropriately (HOMEOSTASIS), in a effort to reduce human suffering and prevent early untimely death (Guaranteed Commitment)

Patients who choose this type model of health-care generally have more direct communication, better rapport, and a mutually respectful interaction with their providers.  Patients have a number of choices of providers that they now can select with whom to form this patient-physician relationship.  About forty percent (40%) of patients nationwide are now receiving direct care by specialists who are also providers of general medical care (Primary Care Medicine).  Patients accept full financial responsibility in this regard, i.e. self-pay or pay out of pocket.  This type model also makes health-care more competitively affordable.

Many patients seek the advice of a medical provider when they are concerned about a disease or illness.  The medical provider uses clinical and laboratory diagnostic studies as well as other special clinical studies to confirm or reject disease or illness in accordance with National and International Standards and Guidelines. This is generally known as “Evidence-based Medicine.”This process takes place after the primary medical provider/laboratory medicine specialist has obtained a complete medical history and physical examination.  Remember, the patient has ALL the information that the medical provider needs in order to render efficient, effective, accurate diagnosis as well as high quality and safe medical care. We at MDC-Atlanta obtain this helpful information to guide diagnosis, therapy, and management by doing the following:

-Listening to patient;

-observing various signs of illness and/or disease;

-investigating and/or analyzing evidence for illness and/or disease; and

-correlating and collaborating a final conclusion for management with patient highlighted by evidential support through the current medical literature. 

(L-Listen; O-Observe; I-Investigate; A-Analyze; C-Collaborate, and C-Communicate)

In fact, the purpose of laboratory medicine is to provide guidance with respect to two clinical categories for therapeutic and prognostic management,  based on scientific, objective clinical laboratory testing: 1) Well-Patient; and 2) Patient with Illness or Disease.  Laboratory medicine physician generally specializes in the diagnosis of clinical and anatomic diseases, and  selects appropriate medical laboratory testing to enhance sensitivity and specificity.  Sensitivity  is the ability of a test method to accurately detect disease/illness.  Specificity is the ability of a test method to accurately exclude disease/illness. These two methods, sensitivity and specificity are used together to heighten accurate diagnostic laboratory testing interpretation. We also consider PREVALENCE of DISEASE/ILLNESS  within a community, as well as PREDICTABILITY of a test method when selecting a SPECIFIC or SENSITIVE TEST METHOD which also HEIGHTENS ACCURACY of the FINAL RESULTS of TESTING.  So, when a patient is assessed both clinically and through laboratory evaluation for disease or illness by a laboratory medicine physician, this direct-patient care assures credibility of the final laboratory test results, as well as timely and proper communication for appropriate follow up of medical care and/or management.  Errors are essentially eliminated through this direct care relationship between patient and general practitioner/laboratory medicine specialist.  Often times physicians, and now prudent patients, request the direct services of the laboratory medicine physician in this regard.

Here are examples of benefits regarding evaluation by generalist/laboratory medicine specialist:

1. Same day, Reproducible, Accurate Diagnoses (This means the final diagnostic interpretation by Dr. Gates can withstand scrutiny by other laboratory medicine experts.  Another expression for this statement is reproducible accuracy of diagnostic results because it is based on established scientific criteria as promoted by National and International Authorities):

a) Fine-Needle Aspiration, Biopsy of Lumps: Breast, Thyroid, Lymph Node, and Soft Tissue

b) Pap-smear

c) Blood smear

d) Joint fluid, sputum, etc.

e) Shave biopsy of Skin tumor

2. Fast turn around time of most clinical laboratory results (most within 48-72 hours), followed by timely verbal communication between patient and doctor with regards to appropriate treatment and management, and/or referrals.

Fast, Accurate Diagnostic Result routes patients to the appropriate specialist for definitive medical treatment, surgery, and management, as well as saves patients unnecessary additional expense.

The Laboratory Medicine Physician undergoes many years of extensive clinical and laboratory medical training in understanding the origin, development and manifestation as well as treatment and management of many different types of diseases or illnesses.  This allows for appropriate management for the patient particularly as it relates to detecting disease/illness early and preventative care maintenance.  Typically known as the “Doctor’s Doctor,” modern laboratory medicine physician provides medical care and evaluation, as well as management directly to patient.  This direct relationship with the laboratory medicine physician allows patients to participate in managing their overall medical care through efficiency and reducing health care expense through unnecessary lab tests.

In our unique medical practice, we promote early detection of disease and preventative care through laboratory medicine because it assures better outcome for overall medical care. 

It is clear throughout the medical literature that more than 80% of medical decisions are based on laboratory medicine data. Dr Gates personally provides patients with complete medical care which includes not only a medical history and physical examination, but also fast, accurate, evidence-based laboratory medicine diagnoses, followed by treatment and management of many different types of diseases.  Such diseases and/or illnesses include sexually transmitted disease,urinary tract infection, bronchitis/pneumonia, skin rash, diabetes, arthritis, and degenerative bone/spine disease causing chronic neuropathic or nociceptive pain, for example.  We also refer patients to appropriate medical specialists when necessary only after we have given our patients working, complex diagnoses for continuity of their medical care.

Our mission is to guide our patients as partners in managing their care through the complexity of high quality, accurate, and safe medical care .

We at MDC, believe that the very premise of medical care provided by a responsible physician is to appropriately advise patients with regards to RISK versus Benefit for medical therapy.  In our practice, and as a general practitioner, if your risk to benefit ratio is greater than one (1),i.e. risks outweigh benefits for medical therapy, then we will either make a recommendation against medical therapy or refer our patients to the appropriate specialist for high risk therapy or further medical management. We, at MDC-Atlanta, are committed to “FIRST DOING NO HARM”, which is the mainstay of the Hippocratic Oath, and the far most responsible duty of a physician and/or medical practice, regardless of the physician’s designated medical specialty!

We welcome your partnership with our practice, as we offer our patients safe, CONVENIENT, affordable, accountable, and transparent patient-direct, high-quality general medical care as well as diagnostic laboratory medicine.

Thanks for visiting: Medical Diagnostic Choices-MDC-Atlanta

Logical Derivation of Accurate Diagnosis, Safe and Effective Medical Treatment and Management: