Kalorama survey: Retail clinic patients satisfied with service

NEW YORK — Patients who use retail-based health clinics are satisfied with their visit, according to the findings of a new Kalorama Information report.



The healthcare market research publisher, which is a division of MarketResearch.com, has been covering retail clinics for six years and conducted a survey of U.S. adults to determine retail clinic use and satisfaction. According to the Retail Clinics: Consumer Attitudes Results of the 2013 Kalorama Survey, 91% of those surveyed who had used a retail clinic were either satisfied or very satisfied.



"Visitors to clinics are happy with the experience," stated Bruce Carlson, publisher of Kalorama Information. "That is an indication that even if they may not revolutionize health care the way you may have thought a few years ago, they have a place in the healthcare system for a niche of customers."



Kalorama Information's study sought to identify and describe that group of customers. The firm conducted an online panel of 2,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older nationwide from Feb. 20 to March 9, 2013, querying on a variety of topics related to retail clinics. The panel was apportioned to match U.S. Census demographics.



The survey found that 54.6% of those adults who had used a retail clinic (about a quarter of the full survey) reported they were "very satisfied" with their visit; 36.3% said they were "satisfied." Only a small percentage, less than 8%, reported they were "dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied."



A cornerstone of the convenience clinic business model is low cost services enabled by high throughput and cost containment, said Kalorama, but Information didn't find that low cost meant the customers using retail clinics were just those seeking discounts.



"We found a lot of things about retail clinic visitors that may surprise some in the industry," added Carlson. "For instance, they aren't low income overwhelmingly and the clinics play to higher income levels."

Many more observations about retail clinic visitors and potential clinic visitors are contained in the report, including reasons for visits, gender breakout of retail clinic visitors, best targets for retail clinics and demographics of retail clinics users.

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