The Rise of
Retail Medical Clinics
[Posted 09/22/2008]
A study
in the September/October Health Affairs looked at
patient visits to retail medical clinics. These
clinics are often located in drugstores and in large
retail box stores, such as Wal-Mart and Target.
Currently, there are about 1,000 retail medical
clinics in the US, and the authors of the study
estimate 6,000 will be set up in the next 3-4 years.
Researchers examined over 1.3 million patient visits
to retail medical clinics from 2000 to 2007.
Researchers found 90% of the visits were for ten
common ailments or preventive care: upper
respiratory infections, sinusitis, bronchitis, sore
throat, immunizations, inner ear infections,
swimmers ear, conjunctivitis, urinary tract
infections, and screening test/blood test. These
types of visits account for 13% of the visits to
primary care physicians, 30% of the visits to
pediatric primary care physicians, and 12% of the
visits to emergency rooms.
Researchers noted that these retail medical clinics
appear to be serving an underserved patient
population, one which is largely made up of people
without an ongoing relationship with a healthcare
provider.
“These clinics appear to attract patients who are
not routine users of the current health care
system,” said lead author Dr. Ateev Mehrotra. “For
these patients, the convenience offered by retail
clinics may be more important than the continuity
provided by a personal physician.”
Retail medical clinics represent a relatively new
approach to providing healthcare, and future studies
should focus on the quality and comprehensiveness of
treatment and follow-up care, costs, and impact
on existing healthcare delivery systems.
Related Links:
Health Affairs Abstract
RAND News Release
Immediate Care Business News Article
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