By Glenna Murdock, RN, contributor
Big-box chains like Wal-Mart and Target aren’t just for shopping these days. If you stop in for a gallon of milk or a set of new tires, you might want to have your cholesterol checked or have your daughter’s sports physical done at the same time. Both of these well-known retail chains, along with grocery and pharmacy chains across the country are adding retail health clinics to the array of products and services they offer.
A shortage of primary care physicians, busy families operating on hectic schedules and the shaky economy making it difficult to cover health care costs are factors that have led to the increased popularity of in-store clinics among consumers. About 1,200 retail health clinics are currently operating in the United States, according to the Convenient Care Association (CCA), comprised of companies and health care systems that operate retail-based health care systems.
Retail clinics offer health care in a hurry. Services are generally basic, and range from treatment of bladder infections and strep throat to administering flu shots and various blood screenings. Costs are less than those at a hospital or physician’s office: a typical retail clinic visit runs between $40 and $75, compared to $55 to $250 for a physician, providing a boon to the uninsured or those with high deductibles. If a clinic visit averts treatment in an emergency room, the savings are greater still. The clinics accept most insurance. Hours of operation that stretch into the evening, and even up to 24 hours at some locations, appeal to individuals and families who work daytime hours. Nurse practitioners or physician’s assistants usually staff in-store clinics, although a handful are staffed by physicians.
Some primary care physicians are grateful for the in-store clinics because they ease overloading of the doctors’ schedule with minor ailments. Others are critical of the clinics, questioning adequate physician supervision and citing a lack of continuity of care and unfamiliarity with the patient’s medical history.
A recent study found that the majority of retail clinics tend to be located in affluent areas, with only 13 percent in underserved areas where people need them the most. The study suggests that by their placement in more advantaged neighborhoods, the clinics are failing to meet medical needs and are instead acting as an adjunct to traditional medical care. The CCA defends the practice, stating that the retail clinics are not designed to act as community or free clinics.
Supporting the evidence that the retail clinic model is here to stay, the venerable Mayo Clinic Rochester recently announced it will have a presence, known as the Gateway project, in the Phase II Expansion of the gargantuan retail center, Mall of America in Minneapolis, due for completion in one year.
“Mall of America is a destination for 40 million visitors a year,” said Glenn Forbes, M.D., CEO of Mayo Clinic Rochester. “Mayo Clinic is also a destination for people across the country and around the world and the Mall of America provides a tremendous opportunity to open a gateway to Mayo Clinic and to a platform of innovation in medical care. For the next 12 months we will be carefully watching and monitoring our rapidly changing economy and health care environment. It is time for Mayo Clinic to innovate and lead with new pilots and new models.”
Some concepts being considered for Mayo’s new facility include screening and prevention, assisting new and returning Mayo Clinic patients with appointments, logistics and other questions related to Mayo’s services and delivering health education to the general public by using unique methods that leverage education and input opportunities.
“Mayo Clinic is looking forward to engaging and empowering patients to take an active role in their own health care,” said David Herman, M.D., a member of the Mayo Clinic Rochester Executive Board who is also leading the Gateway project. “What we can expect to see here is more patient education and risk assessment and more things to allow patients to take care of themselves and promote their wellness.
“Mayo Clinic has a history of innovation and thinking of new ways to provide for the needs of its patients,” Dr. Herman continued. “The practice of patients receiving care just at a doctor’s office or at a hospital is outmoded.”
© 2009. AMN Healthcare, Inc. All Rights Reserved.