In a new policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics states its opposition for retail-based clinics as "an appropriate source of medical care for infants, children and adolescents" and strongly discourages use of the care setting.
The AAP listed several of its concerns with RBCs, including possible lower quality of care, lack of access to a central health record, use of tests and diagnoses without proper follow-up and public health issues surrounding children's exposure to contagious diseases in a retail environment.
The academy also expressed opposition to waiving or lowering co-pays or offering financial incentives for visits to RBCs in lieu of pediatricians or other primary care providers. "These types of incentives would further promote the fragmentation of care," according to the AAP news release.
The AAP issued four guidelines regarding RBCs, noting that despite its opposition to the care setting, the clinics "will likely to continue to exist." Those guidelines are as follows:
• RBCs should support the medical home model by referring patients back to primary care physicians for future care.
• RBCs should communicate with the patient's pediatrician or other primary care physician within 24 hours of the visit.
• All those providing care to children should follow AAP clinical guidelines as well as those developed by other medical organizations.
• RBCs should be subject to health facility standards and precautions should be taken to avoid the spread of contagious diseases.
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