In medicine, we're called on to help people do what they love to do. Healing, in a generic sense, is important, but what that means depends on the unique individual.

For a quilter, we want to make sure she can see and use her hands well enough to piece the colored fabrics that help her express herself: her ability to run may not matter to her. For an athlete, it matters whether they are back in the game 8 days from now (just after playoffs) or 6 days from now (just in time to win the big game).

And for a singer in the Metropolitan opera, to belt her piece on command is crucial, whether she's just come down with a cold or not.

The New York Times recently took a look at the house doctors who volunteer to care for the Met's performers on a nightly basis: "The doctors’ job is to minister not only to the strained larynxes and occasional fractures of the cast and crew, but also to treat members of the audience, who are most commonly felled by preperformance overindulgence in wine and rich restaurant food."

In so many ways, we are all the "house doctor" for an extraordinary person. Whether a stay at home mom, a great grandmother, a construction worker, an opera singer, or a pro golfer, we all have crucial roles we play and ways we need for our bodies to support us in doing so.

Pay-for-performance models and managed care are interesting because, despite their flaws, they relate to this truth. Our job as medical providers is to help people get better so they can do the things they want to do.

If you're looking for a telemedicine solution to help you get the lead back on stage, the mom back to running with her kids, or the quarterback back to practice, get our guide to the options here: