Looks like the convenience clinic trend is coming to my neck of the woods in Southern California. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune (“Are retail clinics a healthy choice?“) six Minute Clinics are opening in San Diego county with ten more on the way before year’s end.
These clinics likely will lower the cost of obtaining a flu shot. Not only will providing the flu shot be less expensive for the provider, the patient will have fewer time costs waiting for a doctor or driving to an inconvenient physician location. These clinics are likely just as safe as a physician’s office if the patient is healthy. However, if a patient has multiple diseases and needs a more in depth check-up, these convenience clinics will be poor substitutes in terms of quality. There is always a tradeoff.