Convenient care clinic industry plays integral role in U.S. healthcare system

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT Take Care Health Systems’ announcement that its Take Care Clinics ranked among the top 10% of all organizations globally in engaging their customers, according to Gallup research, is not only important for Take Care but also for the overall convenient care clinic industry.

(THE NEWS: Gallup: Take Care Clinics tops at customer engagement. For the full story, click here) 

Take Care was built on a culture of caring, believing in the ability to change health care and focusing on the patient. This vision of patient-centered care is evident at Take Care, and the Gallup research, which Drug Store News reported on earlier this year, is one more indication of the clinic operator’s success. In today’s consumer-driven healthcare environment, simply satisfying a patient is not enough. Patients want to feel a personal connection. They want to be engaged.

As Sandy Ryan, chief nurse practitioner officer for Take Care Health Systems, stated in the article: “Take Care Clinics believes that an engaged patient leads to better adherence.” Ryan brought up an important point because with an estimated price tag of $100 billion a year, nonadherence is a major drain on the U.S. healthcare system.

High customer satisfaction rates among retail-based clinics have been reported for some time, but the Gallup research is yet one more indicator that these clinics play an integral role in the U.S. healthcare system.

Furthermore, research such as this comes at a critical time. The role of retail-based clinics will become increasingly important since healthcare reform means that about 30 million people who currently are uninsured will have healthcare coverage. This comes against the backdrop of a physician shortage and overflowing emergency rooms.