• N Ogechi Abara, Nicole Huang, Mukaila A Raji, and Yong-Fang Kuo.
• From the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics (NOA, MAR), Sealy Center on Aging (MAR, YFK), School of Medicine (NH), and Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX (MAR, YFK).
• J Am Board Fam Med. 2019 Jul 1; 32 (4): 531-538.

PurposeWe examined the relationship between retail clinic use and primary care physician (PCP) continuity among Medicare enrollees in the Houston metropolitan area.MethodsWe identified retail clinic providers in the study area using a 2015 health care provider database. Medicare claims data from enrollees who received care from retail clinics in 2015 were compared with propensity score-matched sample of enrollees who received no care from retail clinics.ResultsThere were 2.32 retail clinic visits per 1000 beneficiaries in a month. Approximately 1.3% of Medicare beneficiaries used retail clinics. Retail clinic users were more likely to be aged 65 to 74 years, female, White, and Medicaid ineligible. In multivariable analyses with adjustments for covariates, significant predictors of retail clinic use included having ≥3 chronic conditions (Odds Ratio [OR], 1.53 vs no condition), living within 1 mile of a retail clinic (OR, 2.44 vs living ≥5 miles), and having no PCP (OR, 1.11 vs having PCP). Compared with propensity-matched controls, among enrollees with an identified PCP, likelihood of seeing their PCP (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.93) and continuity of care was lower (0.75 ± 0.33 vs 0.80 ± 0.31) if they had retail clinic visits.ConclusionsRetail clinic use was lower in the elderly population compared with the previously published rate in the younger populations. The lower rate of continuity of care observed among retail clinic users is concerning, especially for those with chronic medical conditions.© Copyright 2019 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

30 keywords...

hide…