The role of retail clinics

Massachusetts is currently debating whether to allow the opening of mini-clinics based in retail stores. has come from existing providers, who have raised questions about quality and the impact on continuity of care. Over the weekend I had a chance to catch up with a pediatrician friend. He said he's in favor of mini-clinics and gave me examples of patients of his who've gone to the ER and had major, costly, unneeded treatment, when they should have been seen by him in his office or in some cases in a store-based clinic.In yesterday's Boston Globe, MinuteClinic's CEO Michael Howe makes a solid defense of mini-clinics, which he calls "limited-service clinics." According to him, such clinics help the health care system focus on four "imperatives."

1. Access
   • Open 7 days per week
   • Conveniently located
   • Available without an appointment or referral
   • Very little waiting compared with an ER
   • Help free up ERs and doctors to focus on more serious cases
2. Quality
   • Joint Commission accredited
   • Evidence-based medicine. For example, MinuteClinic patients receive best practice care for sore throats 99 percent of the time versus 55 percent elsewhere
3. Affordability
   • $59 per visit
   • Often covered by insurance
4. Continuity of care
   • Referrals to other providers
   • Use of Continuity of Care record to provide information on visit