A Detroit Student-Run Free Clinic's Management of Select Chronic Diseases

The Cass Clinic is a student-run free clinic in Detroit, Michigan that treats chronic diseases including hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), and obesity. Our study aims to quantify the effectiveness of our clinic in managing chronic diseases.

This study assessed selected health outcomes for 137 patients who visited our clinic between September 1, 2017 and August 31, 2018 based on initial and most recent surrogate markers including manual blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and body mass index (BMI) recorded in the clinic's medical record system dating back to 2012.

Patients were divided into two groups: occasionally seen patients (OSP) and frequently seen patients (FSP). FSP with HTN had systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased by an average of 14.1 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased by 9.8 mmHg, which were statistically associated with the number of clinic visits. Additionally, all patients treated at Cass Clinic saw a decrease in their HbA1c and BMI. HbA1c in OSP decreased by 0.50%. HbA1c in the FSP decreased by 1.7%. Patients with at least two recorded BMIs (n=73) saw a decrease of 0.13 kg/m².

The data from our analysis support that a student-run free clinic model like Cass Clinic provides long-term value for patients who frequently utilize the clinic. These clinics also act as an important resource for the community by making positive strides toward better health in multiple measurable outcomes, including HTN and DM management.