Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:Introduction to Health Care and Public Health in the U.S.
Unit:Financing Health Care - Part 2
Lecture:Methods of Controlling Rising Medical Costs
Slide content:Alternative Delivery Methods Urgent Care Low cost alternative Incentives to avoid the high cost of the ED X-ray and lab on site Extended hours Retail Clinics Located in non-traditional provider locations Pharmacy and large retail locations Staffed by nurse practitioners and physicians Minimal x-ray and laboratory services 19
Slide notes:Many insurers provide incentives to avoid emergency department visits and seek lower cost options. Urgent care centers and retail clinics are two delivery methods that accomplish this. Urgent care clinics emerged in an effort to move patients from the emergency department to a lower cost alternative. These facilities provide convenient access to rapid and convenient medical care for those in need of urgent but not emergency care. Urgent care centers usually offer basic x-ray and laboratory services on-site and operate beyond the typical physician office hours. Examples of the types of conditions that could be treated include an asthmatic who cannot get a same day appointment with their regular primary care physician or an individual with a laceration that requires a few stitches. Another delivery model is the retail clinic. Retail clinics can be found in non-traditional provider locations, such as a pharmacy or store. They may be staffed by nurse practitioners or licensed physicians; however, most lack radiographic equipment and the more complex laboratory services. A criticism of the use of retail clinics for primary care is that only the difficult cases, requiring more time and expense, will remain with traditional physicians. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 4.0 19