Should You Visit a Retail Clinic for Health Services?

Retail health clinics are a growing trend throughout the U.S.   They are popping up at Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens and many other pharmacies and retail outlets.  Should you make you your next health visit to a retail clinic?

What is a retail health clinic?  A retail clinic focuses on providing care for minor illnesses, injuries and preventive services.  The majority of illnesses treated are sinus infections, ear infections and urinary tract infections.  There are a number of characteristics that set them apart from the traditional health providers:

• Retail clinics are generally operated within an existing retail establishment so they are conveniently located along your normal shopping route.
• They offer health services provided by nurse practitioners operating under the guidance of a medical doctor.  Nurse practitioners are usually less rushed than MDs and provide a better atmosphere for the patient to ask many questions.
• A retail clinic operates with a walk-in policy that does not require an appointment.  This makes going to the clinic more easily accessible at urgent times than waiting at a doctor’s office for the next available opening.
• Retail clinics will post the cost of an appointment so you know the total cost before you are seen for health services.  Also, retail clinics are cheaper as they have lower overhead than a typical physician office or emergency department.  Retail clinics do require payment before treatment but generally accept most insurance plans.

The retail clinics have filled the need to decrease the overload at most local emergency departments.  Patients like clinics because the less costly than an emergency department visit while be more timely and accessible.  Retail clinics are frequently used by patients that do not have a primary care physician. 

Hospitals and physicians have been concerned as retail clinics compete for the same business as they do.  The argument is that revenues are being moved out of the hospital and physician offices.  However, if hospitals would be more innovation and present some solutions to their own fragmented delivery system, patients would consider similar ideas.

Retail clinics are not a solution to the “broken” healthcare delivery system.  Clinics have the potential to improve healthcare access and lower the cost of medical care.  Retail health clinics are here to stay as patients are using them, employers are recommending clinics to their employees and health insurers are using clinics as an alternative to the expensive emergency department visit.  Retail clinics are a win-win for the community and health care providers.