CHSU Discovery

Abstract

Within Fresno County, a gap exists in connecting unhoused and housing-insecure individuals with available community resources. This study investigates if training third-year osteopathic medical students (OMS-III) students at the California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM) to use an online resource directory (findhelp.org) improves their knowledge and confidence in providing patients with needed community resources. OMS-III students will participate in an educational presentation during an Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) rotation that includes a step-by-step walkthrough of findHelp.org, demonstrations of zip code-based searches, and guidance on generating tailored patient resource summaries. Before and after the training, anonymous surveys will assess students’ knowledge, attitudes, and ability to connect patients—especially those with housing concerns—to local resources using a Likert scale. The training will demonstrate how to navigate findhelp.org, gather resources for specific zip codes, and print summaries for patients. Pre- and post-survey data will be analyzed using a matched-pairs t-test to assess the overall impact of the training. ANOVA will be used to analyze differences among demographic groups. The hypothesis is that training on the resource directory will enhance students’ knowledge of local resources and confidence in matching patients with needed services. Data will be collected via Microsoft Forms, stored securely, and analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention.