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On-site clinics were initially created to meet the occupational health needs of large employers. They offered rapid assessment, referral and follow-up in collaboration with traditional medical providers. The benefits to the employer were immediate: reduced lost time from work, convenience for employees and a feedback loop that resulted in a safer workplace and fewer work-related injuries.
As time passed, the logical question arose: If on-site clinics are useful for work-related injuries, wouldn’t they also be useful for other healthrelated concerns? The answer has become an unequivocal “yes” for many large employers and more recently mid-sized employers.
Current Challenges With Traditional Primary Care
At times it seems like all of the macroeconomic forces are conspiring to guarantee that employees will not have easy access to basic primary care. The supply of primary care physicians is dwindling. Most medical students are choosing a specialty track rather than primary care due to the perceived lower income potential and higher administrative burden associated with primary care, so employees are limited in the office appointments available. Furthermore, office practices generally are not open past 5 p.m., so hourly employees are forced to either wait to have an acute problem addressed or go to the more expensive urgent care center or emergency room.
Click here to read the entire pdf study.