The study examined visits for 11 low-acuity conditions. Experiences from around 519,542 people who visited a retail clinic at least once were compared with a sample of 861,557 people who didn’t visit a retail clinic.
The study authors report the retail clinics could drive up medical spending because they create a demand for new medical services. Here are five key points:
1. People visit retail clinics for low-severity illnesses. Without the clinics, these patients would likely have stayed home and not sought medical attention. However, the convenience and expanded operation hours are attractive to patients with low-severity illnesses, according to the report.
2. Retail clinic spending is still lower than spending on office visits and emergency department visits. But the savings were diminished by spending on new medical care. In the study, researchers estimated about 42 percent of the retail clinics for low-acuity ailments were substituted for physician office visits while 58 percent were for new medical services.
3. There are around 2,000 retail clinics in the United States reporting about 6 million patient visits per year and there are fewer tests performed at the retail clinics than at the physician offices.
4. Visits to the retail clinic increase the average per person spending by $35 per year for each new medical service, according to the report. There was $21 in savings for people who visited retail clinics instead of physician offices or emergency departments.
5. Health insurers are now more likely to cover retail clinic care, creating additional financial incentive to use these clinics.
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