WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Typical clients of retail health clinics in the United States include patients who don't have regular health care providers and are seeking preventive care or help for easy-to-treat illnesses, says a study by the nonprofit RAND Corporation.

Retail health clinics, which are located in pharmacies and other stores, are becoming increasingly popular. Currently, there are almost 1,000 retail health clinics in the United States, and it's estimated there may be 6,000 by 2011. This is the first study to examine the types of patients who go to these clinics.

Doctor referral services are becoming more plentiful, if that's the right word, these days, particularly in our area with so many new clinics and hospitals opening. When we moved here nearly 30 years ago, a referral service was practically non-existent and we went by personal referrals. Now you can even get ratings and reviews that can be informative and useful.