Doctors stretching schedules, resources to keep up with retail clinics

NEW YORK More doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers are stretching their time and resources so they can be even more accessible to patients to stay competitive against the growing retail clinic business, The New York Times reported today.

Many physicians and other providers have reworked their schedules and started adding Web-based services in order to meet the immediate needs of patients, the report said. The higher demand for walk-in and retail-based clinic services stems from cutbacks in healthcare coverage which are causing more people to cover expenses out-of-pocket, the report stated.

Professional general practice and family medical groups are encouraging doctors to open up their practices to more relaxed scheduling—many are being encouraged to accept walk-in patients. The American Academy of Family Physicians, for example, plans to spend $8 million for consultants who will analyze and advise doctors in how to more efficiently provide and offer patient care, reports said.

Furthermore, the American College Of Physicians has begun a push for  patient-centric care—the focus of a policy paper—which urges more flexibility for patient scheduling, and advancing practices with electronic records and e-prescribing.