What is the Quality of Preventive Care Provided in a Student-Run Free Clinic?

Background. The quality of preventive care provided in student-run free clinics has not been well documented, although an increasing number of vulnerable populations seek care in these settings. Objective. To examine the rate of preventive care services provided in one student-run free clinic compared with national data. Design. Cross-sectional chart review. Participants. Randomly selected patients seen between October 2008 and 2009. Main Measures. Preventive screening guidelines by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Key results. Among 114 patient charts examined, 48 (42.1%) received an HIV test, which did not differ from national rates (40.8%, p=.78). Similarly, 63.3% of patients received a fasting blood glucose test (64.2%, p=.92). Among eligible patients, 59.6% received a fasting lipid panel and 54.6% a Pap smear; lower than national rates (86.6%, p<.001, and 70.5%, p=.001 respectively), but not different compared with uninsured nationally (61.5%, p=.79, and 54.7%, p=.98). Conclusions. This student-run free clinic provided preventive services at comparable rates to national levels, but short of goals specified in Healthy People 2020.