November 29, 2012

Workplace Health Clinics' Usage Rate Remains Steady

About 4% of U.S. families visited a workplace health clinic in 2010, the same percentage as in 2007.  This is according to a recent research brief by the National Institute for Health Care Reform, reporting the results of a national study by the Center for Studying Health System Change.

According to the research brief, workplace health clinics are most common among large private employers or government employers.  Certain industries also show higher usage rates for such clinics, such as manufacturing.

Most visits to workplace health clinics are for minor or routine care.   In 2010, the most common primary reason for a visit to such a clinic was vaccination (63.7%), followed by physical exams for school, camps, or employment (31.1%), new illnesses or symptoms (26.5%), and work-related injuries (11.3%). The most common reason for choosing workplace health clinics was the convenience of the location (63.6%), followed by lower cost (38.0%), more convenient hours (35.1%), and no need to make an appointment (26.8%). (Respondents could select more than one answer to these questions, and thus the totals are more than 100%).