Despite reports indicating that placement of retail clinics are determined by physician shortages and higher uninsured populations, these clinics appear to be located in more advantaged neighborhoods, according to a report in the May 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Eighteen states (37 percent) had no retail clinics, and 17 states (35 percent) had 25 or more clinics, the authors found. Nearly all the counties with retail clinics (96 percent) are in metropolitan areas, and they have less poverty and lower numbers of uninsured individuals (12.1 percent) compared to counties with no retail clinics (13.3 percent).
“If retail clinics are determined to be a valuable and effective source of care, rethinking the distribution of these clinics may be an important avenue for improving their potential societal benefit,” the authors conclude. “With nearly a third of chain stores located in medically underserved areas, the future expansion of retail clinics into existing stores could potentially improve access for underserved populations.”
