The case for a student run clinic in London

Abstract

Student Run Clinics (SRCs) are an emerging form of primary healthcare involving the collaboration of students and licensed health care professionals. SRCs aim to identify healthcare needs in the community and to meet those needs with supervised clinical and non-clinical services, education, and outreach. The SRC model provides students with direct patient interaction to complement classroom learning and develop extracurricular clinical skills.
 The Alliance of Students Providing Interprofessional Resources and Education (ASPIRE) is a new interdisciplinary student group from the University of Western Ontario, Fanshawe College, and the University of Waterloo. Using established Canadian SRCs as a framework, ASPIRE is working to start a London-based SRC. A recent review of healthcare needs and social determinants of health completed by ASPIRE for the City of London identified a high incidence of mental health conditions and HIV in the community. Furthermore, the adequate provision of primary healthcare in London is complicated by transportation issues, financial constraints, and language barriers among underserved and minority populations. These concerns may be addressed by care provided by professional students from various disciplines organized by ASPIRE.
 The future of ASPIRE includes health promotion in the London community with presentations on topics such as opioid addiction and overdose prevention, diabetic foot care, and smoking cessation. ASPIRE will continue to work towards a transition into a larger role in health promotion and health advocacy, with the ultimate goal of establishing an SRC in the City of London.