Evaluation of an interprofessional school-based health centre: A multimethods study.

OBJECTIVES

School-based health centres (SBHCs) aim to improve access to care, especially among socially vulnerable children. Interprofessional SBHCs are emerging, though their evaluations remain limited. We evaluated an interprofessional SBHC in a low-income community.

METHODS

The evaluation of the SBHCs was guided by the RE-AIM framework. The multimethods design included (i) a document analysis and (ii) a retrospective chart review of SBHC patients from September 2021 to May 2024.

RESULTS

The SBHC team comprised of paediatricians, a dietitian, occupational therapist, speech language pathologist, and a nurse working alongside school staff and community providers. After 98 clinic half-days, 760 appointments were scheduled across 153 patients, with a nonattendance rate of 12%. Care needs extended beyond preventative medicine for 80% of children, with mental health conditions being the most common diagnoses.

CONCLUSION

This evaluation demonstrates that interprofessional SBHCs are feasible and offer a scalable model for addressing the complex health needs of socially vulnerable children.