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ACP: Retail health clinics should be used as backup for primary care
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Retail health clinics, which are usually staffed by nurse practitioners or physicians assistants in retail stores or pharmacies, should be used as a backup option to a primary care provider for the diagnosis and treatment of occasional, minor illnesses in healthy adults, according to a new position paper by the American College of Physicians.
“Health care delivery models are changing and our patients are embracing and exploring alternatives to the traditional office practice… [this position paper] is being released at this time because ACP feels it is important to provide guidance to physicians and their patients allowing them to understand the role retail health clinics may have in providing quick, convenient and patient-centered care,” Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, ACP President said in a press release.
Wayne J. Riley
The paper puts forward six recommendations about patient use of retail clinics, including:
- Among relatively healthy adult patients without medically complex histories, clinics should be used as an episodic alternative to primary care practices;
- Due to the smaller amounts of physical space, clinics should offer a clear and limited number of services that coincide with state scope-of-practice laws;
- Standardized medical protocols should be used in all retail health clinics;
- Providers at retail clinics should encourage patients to build a longitudinal relationship with a PCP, and should establish a structured primary care referral system. The ACP stated they do not believe retail health clinic providers should refer patients directly to subspecialists;
- Retail health clinics should be responsible for relaying patient information, such as vaccinations received or postcare instructions, to a patient’s PCP; and
- Patients who have complex or chronic diseases should not use retail health clinics for disease management, as there is insufficient evidence concerning the provisions of chronic disease management in such settings.
Overall, the ACP stressed the importance of patient safety, quality protocols, strong communication and collaboration between clinic providers, PCPs and patients.
“The expansion of both the number and scope of retail health clinics raises many questions about the role of retail clinics long term and how they may complement or augment good medical care and routine preventive health services. A balance must be struck between the convenience and easy access retail clinics provide with the importance of establishing relationships between patients and physicians, particularly for patients who have complex medical histories and/or multiple medical problems,” Riley said in the release. – by Casey Hower
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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