The increasing number of retail clinics and smart apps are altering physician-patient relationships, according to Fox News.
Here are seven points on the changing physician-provider relationship.
1. Primary care is becoming more of a commodity with physician access determined by what consumers are willing to pay.
2. Technology and competition allow for more convenient options for care that do not require an in-person visit to the physician.
3. Many patients are choosing drugstore clinics over physician's offices with many drugstores adding clinics that specialize in non-emergency care. Target offers visits for $10 to $30 less than a $100 bill a person without insurance would pay at a physician's office. Walgreen's is developing in-store clinics that will only charge patients $40 per visit.
4. Smart phones also allow patients to speak to a physician virtually and receive treatments for conditions such as bronchitis. Virtual visit can cost a patient a mere $49.
5. Retail clinic will host 76 percent more primary care visits this year than they did in 2010.
6. Some medical professionals claim patients with chronic conditions need to see a primary car provider who tracks and monitors their care. Mobile apps and retail clinics do not fully understand a patient's history and therefore may not provide sufficient care for these patients.
7. However, the physician shortage may result in the rapid growth in retail clinics and apps that provide accessible care for the growing aging population.
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