Walk-In Clinics: Cheap and Convenient, but Not a Cure-All

So for the past six years, every time a minor ailment like a cold, rash or upset stomach strikes, the 58-year-old investment advisor from Long Island, N.Y., heads to a nearby walk-in clinic where he sees a doctor within half an hour. It's not only fast and convenient, but with a $15 co-pay, it's inexpensive as well. "It's kind of a first line of defense," Maffetone says. "If you have something, you want a doctor to look at it and make sure it isn't something serious to be looked at further by your [regular] doctor."

Walk-in clinics, also called retail health clinics, can be found in places like strip malls, megastores and drugstores. They've been around for years, but didn't start proliferating until early 2006 when corporations like CVS, Walgreens, Target and Wal-Mart got into the business. By the end of 2007, there were 921 walk-in health clinics nationwide, compared with just 129 at the start of 2006, according to Merchant Medicine, an industry consultancy. Within the next five years, the number is expected to soar to 3,000.

Behind this trend is the fact that access to timely and affordable health care is becoming ever more difficult to obtain these days. In a recent survey conducted by the Massachusetts Medical Society, only 42% of the patients who had an appointment with a primary care physician last year said they were able to see a doctor within a week of contacting the office. That's a sizable decrease from 53% back in 2006 — not surprising, given that more doctors these days choose to specialize rather than go into primary care, which pays significantly lower than other medical fields. (For more on this, read 10 Things Your Primary-Care Physician Won't Tell You.)

"The genesis of [walk-in clinics' popularity] is the desire of the consumer for faster, cheaper and more accessible primary care," says David Chin, lead partner for PricewaterhouseCooper's Healthcare Research Institute, which in a recent report distinguished retail health clinics as one of the top eight health-care trends for 2008.

Some doctors are taking note. Dr. Jim King, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, says his practice has developed a fast-track program that allows patients with a problem they would typically treat at a walk-in clinic (say, a sinus infection) to see a doctor on the same day and within 30 or 40 minutes of coming in. He has also extended his hours from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and keeps several appointment times open so patients who call with a cold or other emergency can be seen that same day. "It's a way to compete [with walk-in clinics]," he explains. "I know several practices are looking at doing things like that to improve the convenience for our patients and become patient-centered."

Until that day arrives, a walk-in clinic may be a good place to go for small health issues like a common cold or a stomach bug. However, before you go, be aware that these clinics come with limitations and potential drawbacks.