Primary care physicians at hospitals and private practices are facing new competitors in the market. The rise of urgent care clinics provided by large retailers like Target, Walmart, and CVS have introduced new options for primary care patients. According to an article in Healthcare Finance, there are currently over 2,000 retail clinics in the United States, and some project up to 2,800 by 2018.

What are the drivers behind this growth? The article lists several reasons why retail clinics are succeeding:

• Convenience — Patients can walk into retail clinics and receive treatment without having to wait for weeks to see a doctor. They can also pick up any prescription medicine at the same location
• Customer Spillover — Customers shopping at these retailers naturally visit their on-site clinics if they need care
• Cost Transparency — Often, prices for services provided are easy for patients to find out
• Expansion of Services — More and more retail clinics are providing services beyond urgent care to population health and chronic disease management
• Advertising Support — Large retailers extend their superb advertising efforts to their retail clinics

Given all their benefits to patients, how should private practice physicians respond? Firstly, it is important to understand that retail clinics are mainly bringing in new patients to the health care system rather than taking away patients from their primary care physicians (Only one-third of visits to retail clinics would have resulted in a doctor’s visit if retail clinics weren’t available).

However, primary care physicians can take advantage of retail clinics’ strength in bringing in new patients by cooperating with retail clinics to establish a new referral stream of patients. By ensuring interoperability of IT systems with retail clinics and promising more advanced services, primary care physicians can position themselves as the preferred provider when a patient needs additional care beyond those provided at their retail clinics.

As retail clinics continue to enlarge their footprint in healthcare, primary care physicians already cooperating with their local retail clinics will gain a head start over their competitors in providing services to new patients.

Understanding Retail Clinics: A Rising Competitor in Primary Care was originally published in Doctible on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Gone are the days when doctors can rely only on word of mouth to bring in new patients to their practices. According to an article in Becket’s Hospital Review, patients today are driven by a combination of factors to shop aggressively for healthcare — similar to how they shop for groceries or other daily goods.

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The article highlights how healthcare practices today are facing three consumer trends:

1. Technology and Expanded Access to Information
   Increased reliance on smartphones and the Internet has driven Americans to take control of their healthcare experience. Consumers can easily access their own medical information, as well as a wealth of ratings, costs, and treatment options to choose from.
2. Generational Differences Affect Technological Preferences
   Different generations of consumers will demand different tools and experiences as they shop for healthcare and engage with their providers. On top of caring for patients who use more traditional technologies of communication, providers have to be prepared to offer a multitude of tools for patients who prefer services like telehealth, online appointments, sharing of data, and etc..
3. Changing Economic Conditions Produce More Discerning Consumers
   The rise of healthcare costs has pushed employers to shift the cost burden of healthcare to their employees. As consumers spend more on out-of-pocket costs in healthcare, they place even more importance on value in all their purchases.

In response to these realities, doctors today can only compete if they are able to attract patients by standing out in the online marketplace, offer the most up-to-date patient engagement tools, and deliver an unparalleled patient experience from door to door.

In short, providing excellent patient care is simply a given. In 2016, good doctors, like five star hotels, promise and deliver a comprehensive care package.

A New Generation of Healthcare Consumerism was originally published in Doctible on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Schmidt from New Girl helps explain how to choose the right doctor.

It’s Friday and you’re planning a date with the cute guy you just met at the hip coffee shop near your apartment. You turn to Yelp and search for restaurants that are “romantic.” A list of restaurants appears by rating.

You don’t pick the fancy, five-star Italian restaurant on the top of the list (although Schmidt would) — you save it for another day. Definitely not the new tapas in town either, especially when a few reviews mention how it’s damn near impossible to talk over the loud music. What about the four-star Thai restaurant with “nice views,” “fair prices,” and “green curry with hints of coconut?”

Perfect! You make the call and you’re all set for the night.

Now, wouldn’t it be nice if you can do the same and check out the ratings for all the other services you need, like finding a new primary care doctor for your annual health check? Schmidt thinks so too!

The reality is, when it comes to healthcare, you are probably already doing so. According to a recent Deloitte study, 49% of millennial patients who received care in 2014 used some sort of a scorecard to compare performance between doctors and hospitals.

Greg Scott, national leader of the Health Plans Practice from Deloitte says, “Health care is becoming more digitized and consumer oriented. It’s not an overnight change, but more like how summer turns into fall — gradual yet very perceptible.”

Joining the trend of posting ratings for doctors online are a minority of hospitals including Houston Methodist in Texas and Scripps Health here in San Diego. Houston Methodist has just posted patient ratings for its primary care and orthopedic physicians. Scripps Health has done the same and added comments for their physicians’ online profiles.

Dr. Joshua Septimus from Houston Methodist notes, “I think the culture has changed. When I first got into medicine 12 years ago, I don’t think patients thought of their doctors as being five stars or four stars. They were just their doctors.”

Choosing a physician is more complicated than choosing a good restaurant, and patients owe it to themselves to use the best available resources when making this important decision.

But not all embrace the rating culture for doctors. The American Medical Association (AMA), the largest physician association in the U.S., has staunchly and repeatedly spoken out against patients’ use of doctor ratings to choose their physicians. AMA cautions, “Choosing a physician is more complicated than choosing a good restaurant, and patients owe it to themselves to use the best available resources when making this important decision.”

Then how should you choose your doctor? The best approach involves looking at a combination of factors… with the help of Schmidt from New Girl, of course!

1) Location

Taking time off work for a doctor’s appointment can be difficult, especially if there’s a long commute to the doctor’s office… or if it’s in a seedy neighborhood.

2) Prices and Insurance Accepted

Compare out-of-pocket costs (if they’re available) and check to see if your insurance covers the doctor of your choice. Even if you like the doctor, make sure you can afford her care. Doctor breakups are miserable!

3) Hospital Affiliation

If you currently seek care at a specific hospital, finding a doctor affiliated at the same hospital will help to ensure you have seamless care. You don’t want to be caught flat-footed when Schmidt happens!

4) Ratings

Online ratings, typically out of five stars, can be useful when evaluating bedside manner, general wait times, and staff friendliness among other things. You should note that these ratings don’t always affect treatment outcomes. No matter what Schmidt says.

5) Patient Volumes and Outcomes

These quality metrics are useful in helping patients find credible doctors with a track record. But these metrics shouldn’t be viewed as definitive due to the lack of common standards. The last thing you want is a risky doctor.

6) Treatment Style

To find out if you are comfortable with how a doctor cares for patients, it can be helpful to schedule an interview. Setting up an initial visit with a doctor is a great way to establish a strong doctor-patient relationship.

You would do anything for a perfect first date. All the more reason to find the best doctor for you. Schmit agrees!

We Use Yelp for First Dates, Why Not for Doctors? was originally published in Doctible on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.