Retail Health Is Expanding Into Uncharted Territory

James A. Gardner

“Traditional primary care is being disrupted, right in front of our eyes,” says sales and marketing consultant James A. Gardner. “Blink and I suspect you soon won’t recognize it.”

Here’s an excerpt from Gardner’s new article:

Look around and new competitors, new thinking, and new delivery models are seemingly everywhere. Venture-backed startups, large employers, government agencies, health insurers, and tech giants are all vying to deliver high-quality care more affordably and more conveniently. It’s a time of immense innovation and change.

Now, add retailers to the list of aspiring primary care disruptors. CVS Health, Walmart, Amazon, and Walgreens are among the retail giants with plans to deliver care. And let’s not overlook outliers like Dollar General and CrossFit — unlikely as they may seem, even they’re exploring ways to improve their customers’ health and wellness!

And why not? Primary care’s reputation for accessibility, affordability, and patient experience is spotty at best.

Some patients — younger ones, typically — have already given up on the traditional system. They reject the notion of an enduring primary care relationship with a physician and instead look to new models like telehealth, smartphone-based apps, and walk-in clinics.

Inertia keeps other patients in the system, but it’s easy to imagine many of them being open to something better. Chronic physician shortages, significant affordability challenges for the uninsured and underinsured, and the lack of expected amenities — online scheduling, for instance — are among the causes of what many sense to be latent dissatisfaction.

Read Gardner’s full article now for an in-depth look at four leading contenders from the retail world. How do they stack up against one another? And what does traditional health care have to do to stay competitive?

Attention Shoppers! What’s Next in Retail Health?

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President