More than 730 retail clinics currently exist nationwide. Some states are taking measures to put regulations in place for these retail clinics. A study found that 99.15% of patients presenting in the clinic with a sore throat were given proper treatment.
More than 730 retail clinics currently exist nationwide. Some states are taking measures to put regulations in place for these retail clinics. A study found that 99.15% of patients presenting in the clinic with a sore throat were given proper treatment.
More than 730 retail clinics currently exist nationwide. Some states are taking measures to put regulations in place for these retail clinics. A study found that 99.15% of patients presenting in the clinic with a sore throat were given proper treatment.
Brought to you by Thomas Jefferson University’s Department of Health Policy
Volume II, Number 30
Quality of Care in Convenient Care Clinics Questioned
As convenient care clinics continue to crop up across the country, questions are being raised about the quality of care that is being offered. More than 730 retail clinics currently exist nationwide and CVS, Wal-Mart Inc., Walgreen Co., and Target Corp. have plans to increase that number by the end of the year. The clinics are staffed primarily by nurse practitioners rather than physicians which raises a lot of questions about quality, most recently by the American Medical Association. Some states are taking measures to put regulations in place for these retail clinics. California has a law that only allows physicians to own retail clinics. Florida requires the clinics to use signage to indicate the presence of a physician and medical personnel must disclose their credentials. In Texas and Wyoming nurse practitioners have more freedom to practice in retail clinics. Massachusetts proposed a law last week to limit the number of visits a patient can make to a clinic. They are also considering space requirements (50 sq. ft.), no waiting room and no bathroom, which raises safety concerns. Philip C. Nasca of the Public Health Council expressed his concerns by stating, “this kind of commercialized setting might not result in optimal patient care.” MinuteClinic, CVS Caremark Corp.’s retail clinic that leads the industry, stands by the care they are providing. A study which will be published later this year in the American Journal of Medical Quality found that 99.15% of patients presenting in the clinic with a sore throat were given proper treatment. (Wall Street Journal, 8/9/07) HIV Testing in the ED HIV testing is becoming routine in emergency department care and the Health Research and education Trust released an online guide to help implement testing procedures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended voluntary HIV screening as part of routine medical care last September. They offered support for this guide to help health care providers overcome the legal and reimbursement concerns in implementing this new procedure. “Emergency departments are the predominant point of care among patients who have limited access to care,” said Gretchen Williams Torres, director of research at HRET. “ED-based testing can be a great opportunity to screen a wide population of patients who would not normally be tested.” HRET is an AHA affiliate. (AHA News Now, 8/8/07) Hospitals Boost Patients’ Power As Advisors After years of confining patient outreach efforts to decor and food service, some hospitals are creating advisory councils whose members help plan new facilities, set hiring standards, and interview job candidates, the Wall Street Journal reported. Later this year, Medicare will require hospitals to publicly disclose patient satisfaction data on the Medicare website in order to receive full reimbursement for their services. Hospitals now have a strong incentive to increase patient satisfaction, better respond to complaints, and avoid costly malpractice litigation. The nonprofit Institute for Family-Centered Care is working with hospitals to create patient and family councils. Patient advisers “provide a vital perspective on the experience of care that administrators and providers simply don’t have”, says Beverly H. Johnson, the institute’s founder and chief executive. A recent survey by the University HealthSystem Consortium, an alliance of large academic centers and their affiliated hospitals, showed that only half of its members have such councils in place. But the group has launched a project to help members adopt guidelines from the Institute for Family- Centered Care. “We are making people aware of how important it is, but there is still a lot of fear about loss of control” in bringing families and patients into decision making in hospitals, says project leader Kathy Vermoch. (Wall Street Journal, 8/8/07)
Any questions regarding this newsletter can be directed
to Valerie Pracilio at valerie.pracilio@jefferson.edu or Bettina Berman bettina.berman@jefferson.edu.