Examining the Impact of Patient Demographics on Outreach Efforts for a Student-Run LGBTQIA + Free Clinic

The LGBTQIA + community faces unique health disparities that can lead to severe barriers to care. The Rainbow Clinic is a specialty clinic at the Columbus Free Clinic, a student-run free clinic affiliated with a large academic institution in the Midwest, that provides free primary and specialty care for uninsured and underinsured patients in Columbus, Ohio. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of literature depicting how to best reach these patient populations. This study sought to examine the outreach strategies for patient recruitment to the Rainbow Clinic with a retrospective chart review of past patients (N = 77). 44.2% of respondents discovered the clinic through social media. Age strongly and negatively correlated with appointment frequency (r = -0.665, p < 0.001), while income showed a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.464, p < 0.001). Preliminary data is a promising foundation for future research to improve recruitment of vulnerable populations. Correlations between age and social-media related appointments and income and social-media associated appointments can be helpful to address specific modes of outreach for target populations in the LGBTQIA + community.