It might not be easy to implement, but some physician practices are guaranteeing patients same-day appointments in order to compete with a growing number of retail clinics, urgent care clinics and telemedicine services.
There’s been a steady increase in the time it takes for new patients to get doctor appointments, due in part to a physician shortage, a Merritt Hawkins survey found earlier this year. Another survey from the staffing firm found that the average time to schedule a new patient appointment has increased by 30% since 2014 in 15 major metropolitan areas and now stands at 24 days.
At a time when many consumers balk at the idea of waiting days or weeks for any kind of service, giving patients fast and easy access to a doctor can be a competitive edge.
And CVS Caremark just upped the ante when it comes to competing for convenience-seeking consumers with its announcement that it is buying health insurer Aetna and will expand health services at its retail pharmacies.
It might not be easy to implement, but some physician practices are guaranteeing patients same-day appointments in order to compete with a growing number of retail clinics, urgent care clinics and telemedicine services.
There’s been a steady increase in the time it takes for new patients to get doctor appointments, due in part to a physician shortage, a Merritt Hawkins survey found earlier this year. Another survey from the staffing firm found that the average time to schedule a new patient appointment has increased by 30% since 2014 in 15 major metropolitan areas and now stands at 24 days.
At a time when many consumers balk at the idea of waiting days or weeks for any kind of service, giving patients fast and easy access to a doctor can be a competitive edge.
And CVS Caremark just upped the ante when it comes to competing for convenience-seeking consumers with its announcement that it is buying health insurer Aetna and will expand health services at its retail pharmacies.