Convenient care clinics

Convenient care clinics (CCCs) are health care clinics located in retail stores, supermarkets and pharmacies that treat routine family illnesses and provide preventative health care services. They are sometimes referred to as “retail-based clinics” or "walk-in clinics". CCCs are usually staffed by nurse practitioners (NPs) or physician assistants (PAs). Some CCCs, however, are staffed by physicians.

Overview
Currently, there are over 1,000 CCCs located throughout the United States. Most CCCs are open seven days a week – twelve hours a day during the workweek and eight hours a day on the weekend. Because CCCs are such a new development, only a small percentage of Americans have received health care in a CCC setting. It is estimated, however, that the number of CCCs will increase dramatically in the near future. The 2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers, from the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, finds the appetite for retail medical clinics is real, and growing, and the potential for future success substantial. The following statistics demonstrate the increase in consumer interest in retail clinics. The survey says that these clinics are particularly popular among those who are identified as:
 * More than 1 in 3 consumers surveyed are receptive to the idea of using retail clinics
 * 1 in 6 already have
 * Interest in retail clinics is especially high among "baby boomers", with nearly 38 percent saying they would use a retail clinic
 * By generation, seniors are the least likely and "generation Yers" are the most likely to use a retail clinic
 * Being in better-than-average health
 * More distrustful of hospitals and doctors
 * More likely to be suspicious of the medications that hospitals and doctors prescribe

Services Provided
Most CCCs treat adults and children over the age of 18 months. CCCs treat common family illnesses and provide basic psychological care and advice. They are an important source of referral on into more traditional services CCCs also provide preventative care, including health screenings, vaccinations, and physical exams. They may serve as sample collection points for blood, urine and feces for laboratory tests, which are then sent to external labs.

By definition, CCCs offer a more narrow range of services (usually limited to 25 - 30 of the most common diagnoses) than are offered in traditional primary care offices. This limited scope of services is seen in both nurse practitioner and physician-staffed CCCs, and is an integral part of the CCC model.