Patient Satisfaction and Healthcare Seeking at Three Free Clinics

Background: Patient satisfaction is an important metric that has been associated with social determinants of health and multiple health outcomes. However, limited studies have been conducted at free clinics, particularly comparing multiple clinics. Methods: This study surveyed patient satisfaction at three free clinics in Tampa, Florida. A written survey was distributed to patients at the clinics over 6 weeks. Results: Satisfaction was generally high among the clinics, with patients from the student-run free clinic reporting the highest satisfaction. There was no significant difference in satisfaction scores among the clinics after adjusting for socioeconomic variables. Despite high satisfaction scores, only 58.8% of patients reported coming to clinic for a general check-up, and only 20.1% reported coming for a cancer screening test. Conclusions: The differences between clinics were attributable to demographic factors, highlighting the importance of considering social determinants of health when discussing satisfaction. Patients at the free clinics in this sample reported high satisfaction with their care, but self-reported low receipt of preventative care. The results may indicate that patients at free clinics would benefit from education about free clinic services and what constitutes quality healthcare.