ACP: Governmental Affairs and Public Policy - ACP Principles on Retail Health Clinics

Advocacy

ACP Principles on Retail Health Clinics

In January 2007, the College’s Board of Regents approved a set of principles to guide ACP Chapters in dealing with any individual, company, or other entity that seeks to establish and/or operate a retail health clinic in their region. The following principles are designed to serve as guidelines for ACP advocacy at the state and local level and to ensure optimal patient care:

Principles on Retail Health Clinics

Retail health clinics should have a well-defined and limited scope of clinical services given the limited clinical services that can be provided in such settings. These services should also be consistent with state scope of practice laws.
Retail health clinics should establish arrangements by which their health care practitioners have direct access to and supervision by physicians.
Retail health clinics should use standardized medical protocols based on evidence based practice guidelines.
Retail health clinics should have a system in place so that information about the care provided is communicated to the patient’s primary care physician and/or “medical home.”
Retail health clinics should have a referral system to physician practices or other entities appropriate to the patient’s symptoms beyond the clinic’s scope of practice and/or to establish continuity of care where appropriate.
Retail health clinics should provide for continuous coverage of patients during off hours, either directly or through arrangements with other practices in those cases where such follow up cannot be arranged with a personal physician with whom the patient already has an ongoing medical care relationship.

Background on Retail Health Clinics

October 2006 article in ACP Observer

For more background information on this issue, contact Renee Zerehi at rzerehi@acponline.org.