New standards for convenience clinics

Members of a nascent organization for health clinics located in retail settings such as drugstores and groceries announced yesterday new quality and safety standards.

The Convenient Care Association vowed to monitor quality, use electronic medical records, and encourage patients to find a primary care provider.

Yesterday's gathering on the University of Pennsylvania campus was the first general meeting for the organization, which represents 18 companies that operate such clinics. It attracted more than 200 people from clinic operators, pharmaceutical and medical supply companies, and retailers.

One priority was setting quality standards, said Tine Hansen-Turton, its executive director. "As an industry, you want to be out first with your own standards," she said.

The clinics, which focus on routine health problems such as flu and strep throat, are most often staffed by nurse practitioners.

The clinics have encountered some resistance from doctors worried about the competition and the quality of care.

At yesterday's meeting, Hal Rosenbluth, president of the association's board, said members agreed to several quality measures, including peer and physician review, use of evidence-based treatment guidelines, and collection of patient-outcome and satisfaction information.

Rosenbluth, who is cofounder of one of the larger clinic companies, Conshohocken-based Take Care Health Systems Inc., said members also agreed to build relationships with other health-care providers and work toward sharing patient information.

Rosemarie Greco, director of Gov. Rendell's office of health-care reform, told the group there could not be a "more perfect alignment of the stars" between what they do and the governor's goals.

Rendell's new health plan calls for more extensive use of nurse practitioners and other non-physician health professionals, but not necessarily in retail clinics.