Convenient Care Clinics: Their Time Has Come
1
“ACNP seeks to ensure a solid policy and regulatory foundation for nurse practitioner practice which promotes affordable, high quality healthcare for all.” 2006 - 2007 Board of Directors and Staff Contacts President Kenneth P. Miller, PhD, RN, CFNP, FAAN President Elect/Vice President Susan Apold, PhD, RN, ANP Treasurer Alison Mitchell, RN, MSN, ACNP-C Secretary Teresa Richardson, MSN, APRN, BC Immediate Past-President Judy Hendricks, MS, ANP Individual Member Representatives Patricia A. Hughes, MS, RN, FNP, WHNP, BC Barbara A. Todd, MSN, CRNP, APRN-BC National Affiliate Representatives Julie A. Stanik-Hutt, PhD, ACNP, CCNS Charlotte Kelley, MSN, CNP, ARNP State Affiliate Representatives Michelle Ashby, MSN, CRNP Elaine Ferrary, MS, RNC, FNP ACNP Staff Carolyn Hutcherson, CEO Allison Beard, Communications Director American College of Nurse Practitioners 1501 Wilson Blvd Suite 509 Arlington, VA 22209 Tel: 703-740-2529 Fax: 703-740-2533 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ACNPweb.org October 2006 566 The Journal for Nurse Practitioners - JNP I recently had the privilege of attending a think tank on convenient care clinics (CCCs). A group of national health care professionals, chief executive officers, and business men and women gathered to explore a new model of health care delivery that provides convenient, safe, quality care to both insured and uninsured alike. The implementation of this model by nurse practitioners (NPs) and other health care providers for a specified list of diagnoses occurs in retail settings such as Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Rite-Aide, and other large retail complexes. Since the inception of this model, several questions have been raised by organizations and individuals. One of the most frequently asked questions by NPs is doesn’t this limit our scope of practice? The answer to this question is a resounding no! The scope of practice for NPs and other providers is determined by state law, not physical setting. Although the number of conditions they treat may be limited, that in no way affects the safety or quality of care they provide. Providers still use the same skill set for history taking, physical examination, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment that they use in any setting. If they discover other pathology, they refer patients to the appro- priate provider outside the CCC. This process is no different than working in a hospital or university inpatient or outpatient clinic. A second question is won’t continuity of care be disrupted? Again the answer is no! The CCCs have some type of mechanism for data sharing with the patient’s primary care provider (PCP). Some give the patient a printout of their visit; others share data via electronic records. All patients are counseled to tell their PCP about the visit. Additionally, most PCPs dur- ing any episodic or acute visit at the patient’s “home health care” site will ask the patient: “Have you been to another clinic or hospital since your last visit here?” Hence, they should be able to easily glean this information from the patient and add it to his or her permanent record. CCCs provide a valuable and needed service lacking in our current health care system. They offer safe, quality care at convenient times for walk-in patients. They also help to ease the burden on our overtaxed health care system, especially emergency rooms, by treating noncritical ill- nesses. They have established standards and safe, competent providers. Most importantly, they are continually evaluating the services they provide to ensure that the best evidenced-based practices are being provided. 1555-4155/06/$ see front matter © 2006 American College of Nurse Practitioners doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2006.08.013 From the President Ken Miller, PhD, RN, CFNP, FAAN ACNP President 2006 Convenient Care Clinics: Their Time Has Come
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Transcript of Convenient Care Clinics: Their Time Has Come
“ACNP seeks to ensure a solid policy andregulatory foundation for nurse practitionerpractice which promotes affordable, highquality healthcare for all.”
2006 - 2007
Board of Directors and Staff Contacts
PresidentKenneth P. Miller, PhD, RN, CFNP, FAAN
President Elect/Vice PresidentSusan Apold, PhD, RN, ANP
TreasurerAlison Mitchell, RN, MSN, ACNP-C
SecretaryTeresa Richardson, MSN, APRN, BC
Immediate Past-President Judy Hendricks, MS, ANP
Individual Member RepresentativesPatricia A. Hughes, MS, RN, FNP, WHNP, BC
Barbara A. Todd, MSN, CRNP, APRN-BC
National Affiliate RepresentativesJulie A. Stanik-Hutt, PhD, ACNP, CCNS
Charlotte Kelley, MSN, CNP, ARNP
State Affiliate RepresentativesMichelle Ashby, MSN, CRNPElaine Ferrary, MS, RNC, FNP
ACNP StaffCarolyn Hutcherson, CEO
Allison Beard, Communications Director
American College of NursePractitioners1501 Wilson Blvd Suite 509Arlington, VA 22209Tel: 703-740-2529Fax: 703-740-2533Email: [email protected]: www.ACNPweb.org
October 2006566 The Journal for Nurse Practitioners - JNP
Irecently had the privilege of attending a think tank on convenient care
clinics (CCCs). A group of national health care professionals, chief
executive officers, and business men and women gathered to explore
a new model of health care delivery that provides convenient, safe, quality
care to both insured and uninsured alike. The implementation of this
model by nurse practitioners (NPs) and other health care providers for a
specified list of diagnoses occurs in retail settings such as Walgreens,
Wal-Mart, Rite-Aide, and other large retail complexes. Since the inception
of this model, several questions have been raised by organizations and
individuals.
One of the most frequently asked questions by NPs is doesn’t this limit
our scope of practice? The answer to this question is a resounding no!
The scope of practice for NPs and other providers is determined by state
law, not physical setting. Although the number of conditions they treat
may be limited, that in no way affects the safety or quality of care they
provide. Providers still use the same skill set for history taking, physical
examination, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment that they use in any
setting. If they discover other pathology, they refer patients to the appro-
priate provider outside the CCC. This process is no different than working
in a hospital or university inpatient or outpatient clinic.
A second question is won’t continuity of care be disrupted? Again the
answer is no! The CCCs have some type of mechanism for data sharing
with the patient’s primary care provider (PCP). Some give the patient a
printout of their visit; others share data via electronic records. All patients
are counseled to tell their PCP about the visit. Additionally, most PCPs dur-
ing any episodic or acute visit at the patient’s “home health care” site will
ask the patient: “Have you been to another clinic or hospital since your
last visit here?” Hence, they should be able to easily glean this information
from the patient and add it to his or her permanent record.
CCCs provide a valuable and needed service lacking in our current
health care system. They offer safe, quality care at convenient times for
walk-in patients. They also help to ease the burden on our overtaxed
health care system, especially emergency rooms, by treating noncritical ill-
nesses. They have established standards and safe, competent providers.
Most importantly, they are continually evaluating the services they provide
to ensure that the best evidenced-based practices are being provided.
1555-4155/06/$ see front matter© 2006 American College of Nurse Practitionersdoi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2006.08.013
From the President
Ken Miller, PhD, RN, CFNP, FAANACNP President 2006
ConvenientCare Clinics:Their Time Has Come
566_YJNP283_PresLetter_CP.qxd 9/28/06 12:03 PM Page 566
