According to a recent Health Affairs study, retail clinic visits increased fourfold from 2007 to 2009. Data was obtained from MinuteClinic, Take Care, and Little Clinic, the nation’s three largest clinic operators. Most clinic users had health insurance (70%), however almost 2/3 did not have a primary care physician.
The study attributes convenience and after-hours accessibility as possible drivers of this growth. Approximately 44% of visits were on the weekend or weekday evenings when physicians’ offices are likely to be closed. The number of visits peaked in October and November, mostly due to visits for flu vaccines.
Despite the dramatic increase in retail clinic visits, they still make up a small percentage of overall visits in outpatient settings, including emergency departments and physician offices.
