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Research

Throughout the research, an emphasis is placed on the health disparities that exist among:

Disparities

• Racial lines in the clinic population as well as society
• Traits and patterns found amongst users of free clinics
• The impact that lacking adequate health care has on their emergency department (ED) utilization
• Data have been analyzed and compared to the general population of Champaign county and national statistics regarding ED use

A previous component of this study was determining the emergency department cost and time savings that is possible when free primary health care is available for uninsured patients.

View the findings.

Mapping the Way to Better Health Care: An Analysis of Champaign County Free Clinics

The current study includes producing a geographical information systems (GIS) map of the client's place of residence in the community in relation to the free clinic. The team collected medical record data from a free clinic, imported attributes for analysis, and is currently mapping the findings. From our results we will propose interventions for the County.

Future Studies

Once determined what new information to collect from clients we will develop a new instrument to use via questionnaire in order to gather more accurate patient information and analyze new impacts.

Summary

• Analyze demographic characterizations of patients using free health centers, comparing these statistics to the general population in the county
• Assess patient emergency department (ED) utilization and how the frequency of free clinic patient visits to the ED compare to national averages
• Project potential cost savings by alleviating unnecessary ED visits
• Create a GIS map of patient's place of residence throughout the community
• Track disease prevalence in Champaign County and propose interventions as appropriate
• Determine what information to collect from clients in addition to developing new instruments to use