Margaret C. Wang

Why Do Patients Seek Care at Retail Clinics, and What Alternatives Did They Consider?

Retail clinics are an increasingly popular new model of ambulatory care. To understand why patients seek care at these clinics and what their experiences were like, the authors interviewed 61 patients at 6 retail clinics. Patients were satisfied with the overall experience and were attracted to retail clinics because of their convenient locations and fixed, transparent pricing. Patients who had a primary care physician (PCP) sought care at these clinics primarily because their PCPs were not available in a timely manner. If retail clinics had not been available, a quarter of patients report they would have gone to the emergency department. Retail clinics appear to be responding to the need for convenient, affordable, and consumer-centered care.

Association of patient-reported care coordination with patient satisfaction.

Little is known about the relationship between care coordination directly assessed from the patients perspective and patient satisfaction. This study applied multiple logistic regression models to examine associations between patient-reported care coordination and patient satisfaction among 1367 patients with diabetes. We found robust positive relationship between care coordination and patient satisfaction with overall chronic care (odds ratio [OR] = 1.78), ones regular doctor (OR = 1.85), and the way care was organized (OR = 1.98). Implications for health plans, providers, and future research are discussed.