The short wait was a big draw for Tim, a Tucson, Ariz., college student who
suspected he had a sinus infection. He visited a retail clinic housed in a
nearby drugstore: "I got an appointment with my regular doctor last year
for this same thing, and I ended up seeing a nurse practitioner there anyway.
So I thought I would go where I knew I could probably get the same experience
in less time and with less hassle."
Nancy Dawson, a nurse practitioner and manager of operations for Minute Clinic
in Tucson, says convenience seems to be a big factor in whom the clinics
attract. Parents with young children and young adults are some of the heaviest
users, "although we see all age groups," she says. "It depends
on the time of year, whether it's flu season, time for seasonal allergies, or
with our younger population, time for physicals."
There's no need to bring your full medical history along if you choose to use a
retail clinic, but be prepared at least to tell the clinician about any current
medications you're taking, including any vitamins or supplements. If you're
there to get a vaccination, it's helpful to bring in your shot record so that
the vaccination can be recorded.
After your treatment, you'll receive a printout of the results of your physical
exam, your vital signs such as blood pressure, any in-clinic treatment you
received, and any medications prescribed. The clinics can send a record of this
record to your primary care physician if you ask them to do so — according to a
2007 survey, 78 percent of patients opt for this service. The clinics will also
submit the records to your insurance company at your request.
The clinics create electronic health records for each patient that documents
their visits and any relevant medical history. Dawson says the records are a
"huge benefit" for patients who might find themselves at a Minute
Clinic in another town or state. "You can retrieve prior visits from any
clinic computer and more accurately evaluate what is currently going on with
them."
Most clinics accept a patient's health insurance. And for the uninsured, some
data suggest that the clinics can offer basic preventive and acute care at
prices lower than those incurred in the ER or urgent care clinics. The retail
clinics keep their costs down by limiting their services and their space — exam
rooms are about the size of a walk-in closet in most places. There's no room
for an X-ray machine or ultrasound, lab, or other expensive equipment.
Tine Hanson-Turton, executive director for the Convenient Care Association,
an industry membership group for retail clinics, says the "affordability
of a visit to a convenient care clinic can encourage a patient to receive care
early on," preventing costly work absences and in some cases treating
conditions before they become more complicated or severe.
And What's Not
Lacerated arm? Broken ankle? Clinical depression? Sorry, the retail clinic
is not for you.
"We can't treat sprains, strains or fractures because we have no X-ray
machines," says Mila Garcia, a nurse practitioner and manager of operations
for the Phoenix Minute Clinics. "The other things that people ask for all
the time and that we don't do are pain medications, especially for
migraines."
Tim would recommend retail clinics for people "who already have a good
idea of what they have," although he was impressed by the clinical
guidelines that his nurse practitioner used to eliminate other, more serious
ailments in his case. For more mysterious health issues, he would make an
appointment with his regular doctor, he says.
For the most part, Dawson says people "are very well-versed" in what
the clinics do and do not offer. "For those who don't know what our
service includes, an electronic message board spools the information. And some
people just want direction on what the next step in taking care of themselves
would be."
The clinics "are great for people who are relatively healthy, but once
you're taking multiple medications or have multiple chronic conditions, you
should be seeing your primary care doctor," Scott recommends.
For these patients, the clinics maintain a strong referral relationship with
local urgent care and primary care physicians, Garcia says. The practices
return the favor. "When everyone was being hit really hard by the flu
season, we found that the urgent care or primary physicians would refer back to
us, and tell their patients that we could get them in and out quickly,"
Dawson recalls.
The clinics can also offer a referral to primary care doctors within a few
miles' radius who are taking new patients. "If you don't have a medical
home, we try to direct you toward one," Dawson said.
In a 2006 survey conducted by Aurora QuickCare, a Wisconsin-based member of the
Convenient Care Association, patients with no health insurance and those with
high deductibles were especially pleased with their care at the retail clinics.
And in a 2007 Harris Interactive/Wall Street Journal poll, 90 percent
of retail clinic patients said they were satisfied with their care. So if you
interested to find a clinical & doctors
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