The Future

In this chapter, the author evaluates the convenient care models on convenience, costs, access, and quality. The models studied receive high scores on convenience, costs, and quality when compared to hospital emergency rooms and primary care physician offices, despite issues related to possible fragmentation of care. However, improving access to care, especially among uninsured and underserved populations, does not seem to be an advantage offered by convenient care. The author posits that the American healthcare system appears to be at a tipping point, with rising consumerism, demands for price and quality transparency, and regulatory forces that are forcing providers to focus on value over quantity. He envisages that the race between hospital systems under legislative pressures and giant retailers spotting strategic opportunities will accelerate innovations and enable convenient care models to move from the margins to become the mainstream way of providing preventative services, treating minor conditions, and managing some chronic conditions.