What is next for participants of a Community Health Screening: Does screening increase medical home access?

Background:  Traditional health fairs provide participants with a snapshot of their health but often lack resources to connect indigent or uninsured individuals to medical homes.  Idaho State University-Meridian Health Science Center faculty and students from 10 health disciplines conduct free, comprehensive Community Health Screening (CHS) events three times per semester targeted to indigent and/or uninsured populations.  A referral component at the end of the CHS aims to directly connect participants to medical homes.  An evaluation plan was implemented during fall 2013 events to: 1) evaluate if participants with identified health needs received medical care after attending a CHS event and 2) identify barriers to healthcare common among participants.  Methods:  A survey assessing demographics, health beliefs and attitudes, satisfaction with the CHS, and experiences with healthcare providers was conducted 6-14 weeks post event using a mixed methods dissemination plan.  Results:  Preliminary results indicate 80.8% (n=21) of total respondents (N=26) were very or extremely satisfied with the CHS events.  Of the 26 participants surveyed, 7 (26.9%) received medical appointments at a CHS with 5 (71.4%) attending and reporting additional follow-up visits scheduled.  Additionally, 3 participants self-scheduled and attended medical appointments, with 3 more indicating that they plan on following up soon.  The study is ongoing and updated results will be provided for the final presentation.  Conclusion:  The CHS planning team will utilize results from this evaluation to strengthen the current CHS procedures, focusing specifically on the referral process.  New strategies and protocols will be developed to connect participants with needed healthcare services.