Retail clinic firm agrees to support MD group standards

The Little Clinic--based out of Brentwood, TN--which runs more than 40 retail clinics inside of Kroger and Publix supermarkets, has agreed to formally adopt proposed clinic standards established by the American Academy of Family Physicians. The standards, which the AAFP tags as "desired attributes," include that the retail clinic should have a limited scope of clinical services, practice evidence-based medicine, have connections with local physician practices, have a referral system for care outside its scope, and use electronic medical records to gather accurate and comprehensive data for use by the primary physician.

While none of these standards are likely to change the way Little Clinics work too much, you could still call this effort an olive branch to the medical community, some of which still violently opposes the existence of such clinics. Now, one is left to ponder whether the retail chain's peers will make similar good-will gestures toward leading physician groups. Wonder if Wal-Mart has any such plans?

To learn more about the agreement:
- read this press release [1] from The Little Clinic

Related Articles:
Wal-Mart plans its own in-store clinics. Report [2]
AMA demands retail clinic regs, backs off ban. Report [3]
Doctors push law regulating retail clinics. Report [4]
Retail clinics: thousands on the way? Analysis [5]
Retail clinics: our resource center [6].