IT implications of Wal-Mart's 400 new in-store clinics

April 27, 2007

Reuters reports that Wal-Mart is planning to open 400 in-store clinics in the next few years, climbing to about 2000 within the next 7 years. They said that Wal-Mart plans to contract with local hospitals to provide the personnel and service and that made me curious. What are the IT implications and opportunities here? Could Wal-Mart become a pseudo-RHIO in some areas since it will need to have some connectivity with hospitals, labs, and other ancillary service providers? What new tools could we build that we could sell to Wal-Mart to make some that easier? Are there open source tools that could be built and tailored specifically for this kind of retail clinic use? Any and all ideas are welcome, lets see if we can even get Wal-Mart interested to talk with us here.

  • Benjamin Atkinson

    What about a platform whereby the physician(s) at a local hospital could build the evaluation/treatment protocol for the conditions seen at the in-store clinic? The nurse practitioners would enter the evaluation results and be prompted through the treatment protocol.

    Perhaps, we could incorporate email or IVR follow-ups with the patients, to ascertain the effectiveness of the treatment. As data was collected the protocol could be refined to maximize efficacy.

    Such a platform would allow greater physician oversight (a concern in some states) and provide an engine for continuous improvement.

    Just a thought.

    Ben

  • The PACS Designer

    I think having your prescription information available to hospital staff while treating patients in a store setting can set a good example for customers by showing them that their Wal-Mart Pharmacy can help prevent allergic reactions by carefully reviewing all of the customers current prescriptions before dispensing new prescriptions approved by a physician. The physician will be web connected and can write an e-prescription while the customer is in the store for immediate filling by a pharmacist.

  • http://shahid.shah.org Shahid N. Shah

    Great ideas, keep them coming. Once we have a critical mass of comments we’ll try and get some attention from Wal-Mart execs.

  • http://elegantcode.com David Starr

    A more likely scenario may be the WalMart EMR and PHR standardization.

    It isn’t likely that the scripts will be filled at Walgreens, if you get my meaning, so I would expect to see a standardizing intitiative around pharma fulfillment without calling from the clinics.

  • A Story

    You do understand that Wal-Mart already has test markets in the south east? This test will or probably already has determined a standard for their use.

  • http://www.iopracticeware.com FR

    Hey – thanks for the article. IO Practiceware (makes ophthalmic-specific EMR) posted a related piece on their ophthalmology/electronic medical records Blog. It’s worth checking out:

    http://iopracticeware.blogspot.com

    -FR

  • http://www.nurseresume.org/ Nursing Resume

    Nice planning, keep them coming. All the best !!!!!!!!

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