A Prospective Analysis of Sources of Referral to a Student Run Free Clinic in Camden, NJ

ackground: A center for learning and a haven for minority, marginalized, and medically indigent patients, the student run free clinic (SRFC) has emerged as a cornerstone of care at many academic medical centers (AMC). However, little is known regarding the demographics of patients who utilize SRFC and the manner in which they come to know of the free and quality care available at SRFC .

Methods: Participants were administered a survey wherein they were asked their ethnicity, how they came to know of the clinic, and how long they have remained a patient at the Cooper Rowan Clinic (CRC) – the SRFC of Cooper Medical School in Camden, NJ.

Results: One hundred and seventy-five patients participated in this survey of which 77% identified as Hispanic, 16% identified as African American, 6% identified as white, and 1% identified as Asian. Participants came to know of the clinic predominantly by word of mouth (64%). Other sources of referral included discharges from the AMC’s university hospital (10%), AMC outpatient specialists (9%), the AMC emergency department (8%), the local cancer screening initiative (6%), and an AMC under-insured program (3%). A majority of patients (57%) reported being patients of the clinic for >1 year, while 43% reported being patients foryear.

Conclusions: This data suggests that the predominantly Hispanic population of the CRC came to know of it via word of mouth and remained patients upon initiating care.