The emergence of healthcare clinics in grocery, drug and big box stores has generated a fair bit of controversy in the medical world. Some people praise clinics for their convenience and affordability while others — namely, the American Medical Assn. — say they worry that the clinics provide inferior care and discourage a regular doctor-patient relationship.

Several studies in the current issue of Health Affairs throw some sorely needed light on this topic. One report, by Rand Corp. researchers, is the first examination of the types of patients who use retail clinics and what kinds of services patients seek. The study found that most of these consumers do not have a regular healthcare provider and use the clinics for simple conditions or preventive care. The clinics attract insured and uninsured patients. Researchers found that 43% of the patients were ages 18 to 44 and just 39% said they had a regular doctor.

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