Anybody using retail health care?

[agate]

The phrase "retail health care" has been popping up, and in case it's unfamiliar to you, this explains it though it doesn't say just how qualified the medical providers are or where insurance fits in:

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(from Harvard Health Blog, "Retail Health Clinics: The Pros and Cons" (January 16, 2016)

[Virginia]

I guess if it is something very minor it might be alright. I have a neighbor who couldn't breath good. She thought she was having a heart attack and went to one of the Emergency Medical places. They were too busy to take her and she drove to a second one. They were also too busy to see her. She went to one of these clinics located in a CVS. They also were too busy to see her, but made an appointment for the next day at 11AM. She kept the appointment and while they couldn't treat her they knew enough to tell her to go straight to the emergency room. She had a large blood clot in one of her legs that had broken off and gone to each of her lungs. She was admitted to the hospital. When they told her what was wrong she asked the Doctor if she was going to die. He said no but if she had waited one more day she might have. Thank goodness she kept that 11AM appointment at that clinic.

This happened on a weekend so she couldn't see her regular doctor and I think that would be when one of these places would be good if they are staffed with well trained people.

[agate]

That is a scary story! So much valuable time wasted going to three different places that didn't have time to see her when she had a very serious problem. The first place she went to should have directed her to the ER, IMO. It seems really irresponsible of them not to do that. It sounds as if the standards might be lower for these emergency medical places, and that could be disastrous in some situations.

I've heard that it's a good idea to ask your regular doctor what you should do if you have an emergency after hours. Doctors often have emergency numbers you can call. My newest PCP hasn't provided that information but I'm definitely going to ask her so I'll have a number to call. Even if it's just the number for one of those retail health care places, at least it will be one that came from my doctor's office.