Convenient Care Association

"For someone like myself who has a high deductible and pays for all office visits [and] meds, this is the perfect place for us to come. I would not hesitate to come back - the care was excellent."

- Aurora QuickCare Patient Survey Response, 2006.

"The American College of Nurse Practitioners supports the Convenient Care Industry as an accessible, high quality mode of healthcare delivery."

- American College of Nurse Practitioners, 2006.

"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota found that visits to Convenient Care Clinics cost half as much as visits to physicians' offices for similar conditions."

- Time Magazine, 2006.

"A recent survey shows that 78% of adults feel strongly that retail-based health centers provide a convenient way for people to get basic medical services."

- The Wall Street Journal, 2005.

"Evidence shows that Convenient Care Clinics do not increase overall demand for medical services, but offer an alternative for consumers facing access problems within the traditional health care system."

- California HealthCare Foundation, 2006.

Convenient Care Quality and Safety Standards
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To ensure the highest quality of patient care and safety in the convenient care setting, all members of the Convenient Care Association have committed to the following standards:

1. All providers will be thoroughly credentialed for license, training and experience, with rigorous background checks to verify training and licensing.

2. All CCA Members are committed to monitoring quality on an ongoing basis, including but not limited to:

a) peer review;
b) collaborating physician review;
c) use of evidence-based guidelines;
d) collecting aggregate data on selected quality and safety outcomes;
e) collecting patient satisfaction data.

3. All CCA Members build relationships with traditional health care providers and hospitals, and work towards a goal of using EHRs to share patient information and ensure continuity of care.

4. All CCA Members are committed to encouraging patients to establish a relationship with a primary care provider, and to making appropriate and careful referrals for follow-on care and for conditions that are outside of the scope of the clinic's services.

5. All CCA Members are in compliance with applicable OSHA, CLIA, HIPAA, and ADA standards. All CCA Members follow Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for infection control through handwashing.

6. All CCA Members provide health promotion and disease prevention education to patients. All CCA Members provide written instructions and educational materials to patients upon leaving the clinic.

7. All CCA Members use Electronic Health Records (EHR) to ensure high-quality efficient care. All CCA Members are committed to providing all patients with the opportunity to share health information with other providers electronically or in paper format.

8. All CCA Members provide an environment conducive to quality patient care and meet standards for infection control and safety.

9. All CCA Members will establish emergency response procedures and develop relationships with local emergency response service providers to ensure that patients in need of emergency care can be transported to an appropriate setting as quickly as possible.

10. CCA Members empower patients to make informed choices about their health care. Prices for services provided at Convenient Care Clinics are readily available in a visible place outside of the examination room. Providers discuss what impact, if any, the provision of additional services will have on the ultimate cost to the patient.

For a printer-friendly version of these standards, please download the CCA's Convenient Care Quality and Safety Standards.