The COVID-19 Pandemic as an Opportunity for Operational Innovation at 2 Student-Run Free Clinics

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Medical Education
• Healthcare Innovation

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the closure of in-person services at Cardinal Free Clinics (CFCs), Stanford University's student-run free clinics, in March 2020.
• Adherence to university-guided COVID policies prevented the resumption of face-to-face patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To innovate clinic operations in response to the pandemic-induced closure.
• To develop and pilot a sustainable telehealth clinic model for patient care and medical education.
• To enhance the assessment of social needs and provide comprehensive care.

Main Methods:

• Collaboration with Stanford's Telehealth team and educators to design a telehealth model.
• Adaptation of existing telehealth guidelines for patient care and educational objectives.
• Implementation of three key innovations: reconfigured clinic operations, a social needs screening tool, and a telehealth training module for volunteers.

Main Results:

• Successful piloting of telehealth services for six months.
• Demonstrated improvements in the robustness of clinic services and operations.
• Reported benefits for both patients receiving care and student volunteers providing services.

Conclusions:

• The developed telehealth model has strengthened the operational capacity of the Cardinal Free Clinics.
• The innovations implemented are expected to enhance future service delivery and patient outcomes.
• The telehealth model provides a resilient framework for continued operation amidst public health challenges.