Retail Clinics

Posted by Kathy Quan Jun 28, 2007

What would you do if you woke up with a terrible sore throat and had to be at an important meeting today? If you had the choice to visit a retail clinic before work hours would you choose to be seen there, diagnosed and treated before work? Or would you wait and see if you can get an appointment with your personal physician or other health care practitioner?

Many factors can come into play in making this decision. If you are healthy and have no underlying chronic diseases, you would probably be the best candidate for seeking care at a retail clinic. However, if you have a chronic disease such as diabetes or MS you might think twice about not seeing your PCP. The again, if your condition is well controlled there may be no reason not to seek out care for a minor illness from a clinic.

If your health status is complicated, perhaps you will be best served to wait and call your PCP first. If you can't get in right away, then making an extra effort to ensure medical records get shared will be in your best interest. Your PCP needs to keep track of all medical issues you face in order to best treat and control your condition(s).

Next time you see your PCP you should discuss these options and decide together what is the best approach for you to take. For instance, s/he may not be aware of how difficult it can be to get in to his/her office and might give you a back door approach to use. Be proactive about your health care.