One of the oft-neglected disincentives of going to the doctor is, simply, hassle. Doctors take awhile. Waiting rooms are crowded and germy. You cool your heels in them for an hour or two and even then get little more than the opportunity to twiddle your thumbs on an examination table. And while the doctors are slightly more punctual than Godot, it's closer than it should be. Which is why I'm enthusiastic about the primary care clinics popping up in retail centers. CVS, Walgeens, Wal-Marts, and others are contracting out with corporations to provide an in-building storefront where nurse practitioners dispense basic care -- swabbing for strep throats, offering flu shots, evaluating symptoms, dispensing antibiotics, and, if needed, referring patients for further treatment.
There are a couple worries, though. Given that the NP's can dispense pharmaceuticals through the chain's drugstore, there's concern that the incentives will be to overmedicate. This is particularly worrisome as some, like Target, seem set to offer their own clinics, rather than leasing out store space to private companies. And everyone should have a physician with complete records and a detailed awareness of their medical history -- confining your treatment to a rotating assortment of low-cost NP's is definitely suboptimal. Nevertheless, given the ubiquity of the host stores, particularly in poorer areas that might lack nearby health facilities, these clinics promise easier, cheaper, and more accessible care for exactly the folks who need it, and at exactly the level they'd be likely to delay treatment. They could prove a very good thing.
