The prevalence of retail health clinics is expected to increase significantly by 2017, numbering more than 2,800 clinics across the U.S., according to a forecast from Chicago-based Accenture.
Retail clinics first came to the U.S. market in 2001 and have historically struggled to make profits, according to the report. However, now more companies are emphasizing clinical services, investing in more advanced health IT and partnering with providers to coordinate care — all strategies that have made the retail clinic model more financially sustainable.
Based on these changes, Accenture's analysis suggests retail clinics will grow 47 percent between 2014 and 2017, with numbers reaching 2,150 by the end of 2015 and roughly 2,400 in 2016.
Located in retail stores, supermarkets and pharmacies, the clinics provide consumer convenience, lower costs than emergency departments and shorter wait times. Their increasing prevalence presents an opportunity for both payers and providers for partnership.
Despite this opportunity, only about two in five physicians surveyed by Accenture said they were comfortable with patients using retail clinics for preventive services, but not for those with a more clinical focus, such as primary care or chronic disease management.
"Retail clinics are shifting to a clinical focus with more sophisticated services for consumers who want walk-in convenience for their basic health needs," Kristin Ficery, managing director of health consulting at Accenture, said in a statement. "This shift provides a release valve for strained health systems, as they prioritize more critical patient cases, and will give consumers another option for addressing their healthcare needs on their own terms."
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