Are retail health clinics the healthcare model of the future?

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Are we ready for fast food health clinics? The debate rages on….

The biggest mover in this market is CVS, who recently acquired Minute Clinics and plans to open 300 Minute CLinics in 2007. Most recently, CVS has come under fire in Boston from physicians and others in the healthcare communtiy. How will these retail health clinics impact medical practice or patient outcomes?

If you visit the Minute Clinic website you will see the following claims?

We’re doing what we can to make healthcare a little easier for people with a lot going on.
Our board-certified practitioners are trained to diagnose and treat common family illnesses,
such as strep throat, bronchitis and ear, eye and sinus infections.

No appointment necessary
Open 7 days a week
Most insurance accepted

I think most people would find this appealing. If you have been to an emergency room lately you know that wait time is hit or miss, you are going to fill out reams of paperwork and you may have to drive a fair distance to get there. Operations like Minute Clinics try to address these issues and may just pull it off. COnvenience is the driving factor here - no one wants to wait anymore, and given the choice between driving 20 miles versus 5 miles to get the same care delivered by a qualified nurse practitioner - the closer facility wins every time.

Think about it for a minute - people will end using these clinics to treat minor healthcare problems things like: sinus infection, ear infection, strep throat checking, cough, minor upper respritory issues, poison ivy and pink eye. . The likelihood that people will use Minute CLinics for long term care is slim - for those types of illnesses people will opt for the trusted reliable and physiscian or specialist. The kicker in the convenience category is that these Minute Clinics will be located in or next to the local CVS - one-stop healthcare shopping.

Think about this scenario - Feel like you might be getting pink eye? - Drive 5 minutes to the local CVS, go in to the Minute CLinic, get diagnosed with pink eye, step next door or down the next aisle and get your prescription filled. The ultimate in healthcare convenience.

I personally see these types of healthcare clinics supplementing, NOT replacing a pateints ongoing relationship with their physician or primary care provider. Will these clinics cut down on the overuse and abuse of patients unecessarily visiting Emergency Rooms?

This is entirely possible and probable if these types of clinics catch on. In today’s world - convenience rules and my guess is that this is the not the last we will hear about Minute Clinics.