Retail Health Clinic Growth as a Potential Primary Care Disruptor.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Healthcare Management
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Retail health clinics (RHCs) represent a significant shift in healthcare delivery, often characterized as a disruptive innovation.
• Understanding the geographical distribution and market penetration of RHCs is crucial for assessing their impact on the healthcare landscape.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the market presence and characteristics of counties where new retail health clinics opened in the United States between 2008 and 2016.
• To investigate the ownership trends and geographical patterns of RHCs, particularly in relation to socioeconomic factors and existing healthcare resources.

Main Methods:

• Utilized national data on RHC openings and closings from Merchant Medicine, merged with the Area Health Resources File.
• Conducted an examination of county-level RHC counts and ownership patterns over the specified time period.
• Analyzed the density of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in counties with new RHC openings.

Main Results:

• Observed a notable increase in RHC ownership by retail pharmacies from 2008 to 2016.
• Found that RHCs predominantly opened in affluent counties, contradicting earlier predictions of expansion into underserved or provider shortage areas.
• New RHCs were most commonly established in counties with pre-existing RHCs and higher densities of primary care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants).

Conclusions:

• Retail health clinics are concentrating in areas with existing healthcare infrastructure and higher socioeconomic status.
• The expansion of RHCs, particularly those owned by retail pharmacies, may increase competitive pressures on established primary care practices.
• RHCs are not currently serving as a solution for healthcare access in underserved or provider-shortage regions.