A comparative evaluation of patient satisfaction outcomes in an interprofessional student-run free clinic

Abstract

As the evidence supporting the value of well-coordinated healthcare teams continues to grow, so to do the calls from medical educators and policy makers for the development of meaningful interprofessional educational experiences for health professions students. The student-run clinic has emerged as a unique venue for such experiential interprofessional learning experiences, with over 100 such clinics now in operation across North America. As the number and variety of these clinics rises, it has become increasingly important to understand the quality of care which they deliver. Here, patient satisfaction data from an interprofessional student-run free clinic are described, and these results are quantitatively compared to similar data obtained from a non-interprofessional, non-student-run clinic in a post-experience only, non-equivalent groups design. Student-run free clinic patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the patient care team and the facility quality, and lower levels of satisfaction with waiting times. When compared to the non-student-run clinic, there was no significant difference in the high levels of patient satisfaction with the patient care teams between the clinics. Student-run free clinic patients did, however, report significantly lower levels of satisfaction with the accessibility of care and with the perceived privacy of protected health information. Overall, this report provides evidence that an interprofessional student-run free clinic is capable of performing at the level of an experienced free clinic across many domains of patient satisfaction, while also identifying notable areas for improvement within the domains of clinic accessibility and the perception of the privacy of protected health information.

An Evaluation of Patient and Student Experience at a Longstanding Student-run Free Clinic in Cape Town, South Africa

“…Consistent with our findings at SHAWCO, several studies have found high patient satisfaction ratings of student-run free clinics [6,[9][10][11]. Interestingly, SHAWCO patients rated medical students higher than physicians on listening to their concerns.…”

“…Most studies evaluating patient satisfaction at SRFCs have shown high satisfaction with care provided [6,9,10]. However, the patient perspective of care received at student-run free clinics has only recently been explored in a small number of studies, most taking place in affluent nations [10][11][12][13]. A recent South African study from Du Toit et al found high patient satisfaction with a mobile clinic for community-based service learning at Nelson Mandela University in the Eastern Cape province [9].…”

Development and Implementation of a Patient Assistance Fund: A Descriptive Study

“…However, the result is consistent with the literature reporting correspondingly high levels of satisfaction expressed by patients receiving free care in a student clinic. 11…”

A Model for Providing Free Patient Care and Integrating Student Learning and Professional Development in an Interprofessional Student-Led Clinic

“…However, there is growing evidence to support the idea that student-led free clinics can provide care at or above the standard of care; however, the literature discussing physical therapy specific outcomes is limited. 23,24,25 Adopting a student-led free clinic with an interprofessional approach into multiple schools' programs can be challenging. Logistically, schools may be separated by distance, variable student schedules, differing viewpoints and administrative hurdles, as well as the ability to procure financial resources.…”