Evolving practice of nursing and patient care delivery
37124Retail clinics, once a controversial care approach, have become a mainstream part of healthcare (Daly, 2013).The concept of offering basic services such as flu shots and throat cultures in a retail environment, with longer hours and no appointment needed, was opposed initially by some physician groups and in some communities.
But the healthcare industry gradually accepted the concept—some even are embracing it—and as it turns out, retail clinics are a potentially important avenue of care within the models being pushed by the federal government and private payers under reform.
“From a population health standpoint, this should make a big difference,” said Ken Berndt, CEO of Careworks, a retail clinic company owned by Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pa. Retail clinics fill a gap in care by making certain services more accessible, and can therefore divert patients away from costly emergency room care.
A number of systems are partnering with national chains, forming their own clinics or in a few instances, like Geisinger, are selling their expertise in the area to other systems. “We’re seeing a plethora of health systems that want to start getting into this,” Berndt said.
Geisinger has been involved with retail clinics for years, but has sharply expanded plans for its own clinics in recent months after its health insurer won a contract to cover Medicaid patients in part of Pennsylvania, Berndt said. Geisinger has 21 new clinics either built or in the works, he said.
The industry itself also is growing. There were about 1,450 clinics as of last week, up from about 1,200 at the end of 2011, said Tine Hansen-Turton, executive director of the Convenient Care Association, a trade group. “I would say there’s a lot of interest in the model,” Hansen-Turton said.
Reference
Daly, R. (2013, March 23). Top 5 innovations in healthcare delivery. Retrieved from http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130323/MAGAZINE/303239990
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