Improving quality of preventive care at a student-run free clinic

Student-run clinics increasingly serve as primary care providers for patients of lower socioeconomic status, but studies show that quality of care at student-run clinics has room for improvement.

To examine change in provision of preventive services in a student-run free clinic after implementation of a student-led QI intervention involving prompting.

Review of patient charts pre- and post-intervention, examining adherence to screening guidelines for diabetes, dyslipidemia, HIV, and cervical cancer.

Adherence to guidelines among eligible patients increased after intervention in 3 of 4 services examined. Receipt of HIV testing increased from 33% (80/240) to 48% (74/154; p = 0.004), fasting lipid panel increased from 53% (46/86) to 72% (38/53; p = 0.033), and fasting blood glucose increased from 59% (27/46) to 82% (18/22; p = 0.059).

This student-run free clinic implemented a student-led QI intervention that increased provision of prevention. Such a model for QI could extend to other student-run clinics nationally.