Growth of Retail Clinics: 2008 Survey of Health Care ConsumersConsumer interest, rising popularity |
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Over the past few years, retail health clinics have been appearing with greater frequency in Wal-Marts, Rite Aids and shopping centers across the country. But are retail clinics a lasting trend or passing fad?
The
2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers, from the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, finds the appetite for retail medical clinics is real, and growing, and the potential for future success substantial.
The following statistics demonstrate the increase in consumer interest in retail clinics.
- More than 1 in 3 consumers surveyed are receptive to the idea of using retail clinics
- 1 in 6 already have
- Interest in retail clinics is especially high among Baby Boomers, with nearly 38 percent saying they would use a retail clinic
- By generation, Seniors are the least likely and Generation Y are the most likely to use a retail clinic
The survey says that these clinics are particularly popular among those who are identified as:
- Being in better-than-average health
- More distrustful of hospitals and doctors
- More likely to be suspicious of the medications that hospitals and doctors prescribe
More than 700 clinics operate across the country at chain stores. With waiting times less than 30 minutes, most people go for convenience but this is also a more affordable option for the uninsured.
- Uninsured are more likely to visit retail clinics than insured
Other studies have shown those who have used a clinic indicate:
- 92 percent satisfaction with convenience
- 89 percent satisfaction with quality of care
What about clinic quality of care and accuracy?
- The Deloitte survey finds that a patient’s comfort level with retail clinics rises when the clinic extends beyond the simple nurse-practitioner structure
- If the nurse has a computer-based support system or an affiliation with the practice of a local doctor, the percentage of consumer comfort increases
Related Content:
Survey:
2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers
Fact Sheet Library:
Health Care Consumerism
Research:
Retail Medical Clinics: Disrupting Models of Primary Care
Perspective:
Retail Medical Clinics - Here to Stay?
Overview:
Center for Health Solutions