Retail Clinics: Build It, They Will Come?

The Amednews.com site of the American Medical Association Journal noted our study of adults (http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/12/17/bibf1217.htm#1) and the results that more adults are visiting clinics.  The AMA is no friend to retail clinics, and has strong criticism of them for breaking the continuance of care, as a patient may see a doctor, then visit a clinic, then see a doctor again, without each entity knowing about the other visit.  Once of the things that Amednews noted is that usage is up where more clinics are located.  Patients will visit if a clinic is near their home and makes themselves available as a physicians' office.

Several studies have found that patients who live near retail clinics are more likely to use them. According to Merchant Medicine, a retail medicine consultancy based in Shoreview, Minn., 1,420 retail clinics operated in 39 states as of early December. In October 2006, there were 202 such clinics across the country.