Background Student-Run Free Clinics (SRFCs) have been an integral part of US medical
schools since the 1960s and provide health care to underserved populations. In 2018,
we established an SRFC in Hamburg, Germany, a major city in Northern Europe. The aim
of this study was to describe the central problems and to investigate the usefulness
of an SRFC in a country with free access to medical care, such as Germany. Methods
All consecutive patients treated at the SRFC Hamburg between February 2018 and March
2019 that consented to this study were analyzed regarding clinical characteristics,
diagnosis, readmission rate and country of origin. Results Between February 2018 and
March 2019, 229 patients were treated at the SRFC in Hamburg. The patients came from
33 different countries with a majority (n = 206, 90%) from countries inside the European
Union. The most common reasons for visiting the SRFC were infections (23.2%), acute
or chronic wounds (13.5%) and fractures (6.3%). Conclusion Our multicultural patients
suffer mainly from infections and traumatological and dermatological diseases. We
find similarities to published Canadian SRFC patient cohorts but differences in diseases
and treatment modalities compared to US SRFCs. Importantly, we demonstrate the relevance
and necessity of the SRFC in a major city in Northern Europe.
