Big news. Wal-Mart will open its first in-store medical clinics by leasing out space to outside companies. The Clinic at Wal-Mart has a joint venture with Atlanta, Dallas, and Little Rock local hospital systems, starting in April. These clinics already exist at other supermarket and drugstore chains, and are primarily run by nurse practitioners or physician assistants who provide quick service for routine conditions. Already, about 7% of Americans have already tried a clinic.
Now, is this good news or bad news? I think it’s a little of both. Maybe this will provide more Americans with some health care, and it’s clearly an accessible option, and I imagine that it would be more affordable. My main concern with this system, however, is that Americans may find it as a substitute for real medical attention. The fact of the matter is, these are not doctors, and their goal at these clinics is to get you in and out as soon as possible. I only hope that people don’t neglect visiting a real doctor in lieu of this option. I also am concerned of the quality of the service these clinics provide. Are they merely focused on the bottom line, or are they there to help the patient? Are they even able to help the patient effectively?
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OH MY GOSH!!! I personally think this is so scary. I recently wrote a blog about Wal-Mart also and it just amazes me, and scares me, to think about how much influence and power one company can have on a world. I know there are Super Wal-Marts, but pretty soon there is gonna be WORLD WAL-MART......ahhhh I just don't like where Wal-Mart is heading =/
Walmart hardly has a monopoly on these clinics. Walgreens and other drug stores have had them for quite some time now.
~C
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http://walmartwatch.com/issues/
this is a well informed web site on the negative impacts of walmart in regards to the discrimination lawsuits they are facing, the child labor, the enviornmental impact..etc
I also agree with your blog, knowing some of their practices i wouldn't be suprised if they were very unqualified to run a health clinic
at the same time i can understand there are alot of people who are forced to try and find the cheapest way to maintain their basic needs.
I agree when you say Wal-Marts goal is to get the patients in and out. Then they can take care of the next paying customer. What if a patient merely went to the Wal-mart clinic, where they are going to mostly employ nurses, or less qualified doctors. Because a nurse does need less schooling than a doctor, and Wal-Mart is not going to look for the most qualified one. So the customer gets some pills, and everything is fine. But what if the patient has something dangerous, that requires better knowledge? The customer is given false confidence. And of course there is the economic that always comes up when Wal-Mart is being discussed. Will it put private practice doctors out of business? Will hospitals be required to cut back their employees? Won't this cause the standard to drop for medical care, because now doctors and hospitals will be focused on price, rather than quality? True, this may allow people without health insurance to get treatment, since lower quality treatment is better than no treatment at all. Bottom line, I have very little faith in Wal-mart, ever, to do what is best for their customers.
wow this is definitely news to me. Wal-mart running clinics...sounds a little strange. I wonder if the visits to those clinics are even worth the time?
The other issue is the combination of both of those you mentioned. Yes, more people will be able to afford health care - so many people cannot. But yes, we should be careful and know that this is never a substitute. In light of this, I am concerned that this new availability of health care (though it may not be as good as people need it to be) may put off the creation a better plan for those who can afford it by health care officials in the government.
Wal-Mart is a complete monopoly, and it pains me to see them dip their hand into yet another purely money-making scheme.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/kariskoett
as far-fetched an idea as it may sound. Wal-Mart is a place that carries everything a person needs...more or less. Quite an amusing notion to visit your doctor at a retail store.