While we are undergoing a primary care crisis and losing vast numbers of physicians into the specialties, convenient care clinics are popping up like wildflowers, raising the ire of the AMA and the fears of the primary care docs who are left.
While doctors see these as low cost, low trained options, some data I gleaned from a presentation done by Mary Kate Scott and the California Healthcare Foundation sheds some interesting new light on consumer demand for convenient care. (for those interested in more information, there are two reports commissioned on this topic by CHCF: Emergence of Retail Clinics and Retail Clinics go Mainstream)
First off, consumers are very happy with convenience and quality of care occuring at the retail clinic locations. While physicians may complain about the lower diagnostic qualifications of NPs, most consumers find the convenience of the clinic far superior to long lines for short visits with the doctor. In fact, one may say that physicians have provided a level of training that is overkill for minor issues, and that finding alternative providers who truly enjoy this type of bread and butter practice may better address these simple issues.
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Saw an interesting experience highlighting how consumers see doctors– and what they make decisions based on. Strangely enough, its not necessarily about lowest price or best technical quality…from a blog post called A Tale of Two doctors:
We recently found ourselves in need of a “primary care physician” for my husband (he was very sick). Not familiar with the doctors in this area, I asked a good friend for a recommendation. Here is what happened:
Doctor #1: I spent 20 minutes on hold with this doctor’s office before I ever reached a live person. The lady who answered the phone was fairly abrupt and matter-of-fact with me. As we are considered “new patients”, I was told my husband would have to take a 30-minute “new patient” appointment (as opposed to a simple office visit); could he also show up 30 minutes early to do paperwork? At this point, the lady checked the appointment schedule – and informed me the doctor was fully booked for 2 days! She referred me to the local urgent care clinic. I thanked her and hung up.
Doctor #2:I found this doctor’s office online. I spent about 3 minutes on hold before I was connected to a very pleasant lady. She was friendly and sympathetic, acknowledging my husband’s illness right away. She quickly found an appointment for him to come in a few hours later (a regular office visit), with a request that he come 15 minutes early for paperwork. Relieved, my husband saw this doctor.
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