Impact of Student-Run Free Clinics in Urgent Care.

As Emergency Departments (EDs) become increasingly crowded, the non-urgent use of EDs exacerbates this problem. Uninsured patients have the highest percentage of non-urgent ED visits and free healthcare clinics provide access to care for the uninsured. This study analyzed the patient population of the 12th Street Health and Wellness Center (HWC), a student-run free clinic (SRFC), to understand the impact of SRFCs in urgent care. 2024 return and new patient intake forms from the HWC were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to see which factors from the patient intake forms increase the probability that a patient came will into the clinic for urgent care. About 10% of the HWC patient population uses the clinic for emergencies, of which, 94% of them were not referred to the ED. If the HWC was not available, most of these uninsured individuals would have gone to an ED and incurred an estimated total cost of $39,515.80 in 2019. Multivariable logistic regression indicated that patients that came via walk-in are significantly more likely to seek urgent care at the clinic. Further, patients without insurance and patients who need a Spanish interpreter have a higher tendency to seek urgent care at this clinic. SRFCs save their surrounding EDs thousands of dollars in non-urgent ED visits. SRFCs should be attentive to patients who come in without an appointment, without insurance, and who need a Spanish interpreter because they are more likely to come in for an emergency.

The role of social work in free healthcare clinics and student-run clinics.

BACKGROUND: The role of social work in free healthcare clinics and student-run clinics remains an understudied topic. METHOD: We conducted a literature review of the published studies through four online databases: Google Scholar, Social Work Abstracts, Academic Search Complete, and PsycInfo. RESULTS: The literature review revealed 449 possibly relevant studies, but only nine met the criteria for the final review. Based on these findings, social work is not fully utilized in free healthcare clinics and student-run clinics. CONCLUSION: Our literature review provides evidence for the need for social work in free healthcare clinics and student-run clinics.