Following a full year of operation at the SQRH Health and Wellness Clinic, a comprehensive evaluation of the service has found that the 68 participants who took part in the program achieved an average weight loss of 2.3 kgs and an 11% increase in quality of life utility as well as all students reporting high levels of satisfaction with their learning experiences.

Health and Wellness Clinic Co-ordinator Sam Peek, along with Project Officer Clara Walker, evaluated the clinic data to assess the impacts of the clinic, to understand the resource requirements and gather information to support continuous improvement of clinic operations.

The student-led service, which began in July 2019, supports eligible people with low to rising risk of chronic disease to reach their health and wellness goals via gym programs, health education sessions, individual consultations with allied health and nursing staff, hydrotherapy and cooking demonstrations.

The peak of COVID-19 pandemic impacted the Health and Wellness Clinic with SQRH staff and students rapidly converting to a telehealth service from April to July this year.

During the first year of operation:

• a total of 2,038 occasions of service were delivered,
• about half of all occasions of service were interprofessional in nature,
• a total of 43 students completed 314 weeks of clinical placement,
• 68 participants took part in the program,
• Participants achieved positive change in two thirds of goals,
• 100% of participants who completed the feedback survey would recommend to a friend,

SQRH will further refine data collection in the second year of operation and look to further understand the long-term impact of the clinic on students, participants and the broader community.