Retail Medical Clinics: Disrupting Models of Primary Care - 2008 Report

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Retail medical clinics are disrupting existing models of primary care by shifting delivery of health care services from traditional clinical settings to consumer-friendly locations such as “big-box” discount stores, grocery stores and retail pharmacies.

More than 800 retail medical clinics were in operation at the end of 2007, and the Convenient Care Association (CCA) is forecasting that retail clinic totals will reach 5,000 by the end of the decade. Why the boom? According to Deloitte’s 2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers, almost half of all consumers report being receptive to retail clinics. They do not appear concerned about safety issues or staffing by nurse practitioners, and they like the convenience.

"Retail Clinics: Facts, Trends and Implications," a paper from the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, part of Deloitte LLP, addresses four key questions:

• What are retail medical clinics and how are they different from traditional primary care delivery?
• What are the current trends in the growth of retail clinics and their use, and what are the characteristics of their users?
• What forces will drive or impact retail clinics going forward?
• How will retail clinics affect key stakeholders in the health care system?

The impact of retail clinics is potentially significant: lower cost to all participants, increased access to primary care and a possible remedy to the primary care physician shortage. There is little doubt that health plans, employers, policy makers, hospitals and medical groups will be impacted by their growth. Each stakeholder must consider how to respond strategically and operationally to this new market competitor.

To read the full report, download the attachment below or view the 2009 Retail Clinics report findings.

Series on “Disruptive Innovations” in Health Care

This paper is part of a series of reports by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions about “disruptive innovations” in health care.  Learn more about the series. 

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