Evaluation of College of Medicine Students' Perception of a Subscription-Based Model of Primary Care Delivery

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Access to timely, affordable, and student-centered primary care remains a persistent challenge for college and graduate students, particularly those in demanding health professional programs. Traditional healthcare models often fall short in meeting students' unique needs related to scheduling flexibility, geographic transitions during training, and financial constraints. To address these gaps, we developed COMMpanion, a subscription-based, virtual-first primary care model designed specifically for a graduate student population. This study evaluates student experiences with the COMMpanion model, including its feasibility, acceptability, and perceived effectiveness in improving access to care.

METHODS: We conducted a descriptive, single-timepoint cross-sectional survey of users, analyzed with descriptive statistics only. An electronic self-report survey was distributed to all subscribers of COMMpanion at the Penn State College of Medicine who completed at least one visit. The survey assessed user experiences, usability, satisfaction, and perceived clinical outcomes. Results: Of 114 enrolled patients, 42/114 (36.8% response rate) completed the survey. Most respondents were medical students 35/42 (83%) (mean age 27 years). Usability was rated highly: comfort discussing health virtually 41/42 (97%); concerns fully addressed 33/42 (79%); reduced delays in care 38/42 (90%). Compared with respondents' prior in-person experiences, overall visit quality was rated better by 23/42 (55%) and the same by 16/42 (38%).

CONCLUSIONS: COMMpanion effectively addressed key barriers to healthcare access among College of Medicine students by providing an inexpensive, convenient, and acceptable alternative to traditional care. These findings support the feasibility of subscription-based virtual care models in academic settings and highlight the need for further research into their broader implementation, sustainability, and clinical impact.