CHICAGO — Civis Analytics, a data science firm that empowers organizations to make smarter, faster decisions grounded in statistical facts, released new research that explores demographics and motivations of retail clinic patients, and how these visits impact spending behavior in the retail portion of the stores. The study found that retail clinic users tend to be patients who are male, younger, report that they are in good health and have higher incomes in comparison to non-users (see chart below). The study also found that many patients (68%) who utilized these clinics made a purchase in the store during the same trip, and later made a subsequent visit to that store to purchase items (56.3%).

Civis conducted two nationwide online surveys of U.S. adults ages 18 and up. The first survey of 1,482 people focused on understanding the profiles of retail clinics patients, and overall experience and customer satisfaction. A follow-up survey asked 3,435 respondents more detailed questions about retail clinic users’ interactions after their visits.

Additional findings include:

• Many retail clinic patients were irregular customers (28.6%) or had never been to that retail store before (10.3%). First-time visitors heard of that particular location from:
  • Simply walking by (23.5%)
  • Recommendation from friends, family, or colleagues (17.6%)
  • An advertisement (11.8%)
  • Recommendation from their healthcare provider (8.8%)
  • Online search (7.4%)

• Retail clinics deliver on convenience and satisfaction.
  • 2 out of 3 patients were either seen immediately or waited for less than 15 minutes
  • The majority of patients (90.3%) rated their experience as good, very good or excellent, and said they would go back to a retail clinic in the future (81.7%)

• Difficulties making appointments with their primary care providers (25.2%) and lower prices(15.7%) were the top two reasons cited for choosing retail clinics.
  • Although retail clinic users reported that cost was a major factor in their decision, people with health insurance were equally likely to use them

• Although retail clinics are popular, they are not yet replacing traditional primary care providers. 85% of patients who visited a retail clinic also reported going to a primary care doctor in the last year. Services sought at the clinic were primarily “one-and-done,” including:
  • Vaccinations (30.9%)
  • Care for minor illnesses or injuries (40%)
  • Wellness visits or physical exams (5.7%)
  • Chronic condition care (4.3%)

“Today, people seeking healthcare have more options for where to get it, and providers have to appeal to them not only as patients but as consumers as well,” said Crystal Son, healthcare analytics lead at Civis Analytics. “Patients want good medical care, but they also value convenience and want healthcare to meet them where they are, rather than cause disruption to their daily lives. Retail clinics are in a good position to meet both of these desires.”

To download the full report, visit http://go.civisanalytics.com/retailclinics.