Review of Student Health Services
Last semester, I visited Old Dominion University’s Student Health Services hoping to receive care for a head injury, only to find that screening for concussions is not provided there. Because of this, I decided to figure out exactly what Student Health Services provides for students and the campus as a whole, both directly and indirectly. Through my research, I found that Student Health Services directly benefits students’ physical well-being as well as indirectly boosting their academic performance.
The Student Health Services page on the ODU website provides a list of services for students, namely primary care, specialty services, and sexual health. Primary care resources consist of vaccinations, lab work, and prescriptions that can be filled at local pharmacies. Student Health Services also offers specialty services such as sutures, skin biopsies, EKGs, and tuberculosis or allergy testing on-site. In addition, if students require further examination such as a CT or MRI scan, Student Health Services will provide referrals to local facilities. Additionally, Student Health Services has resources catering to sexual health such as contraception services, cancer screenings, HPV vaccinations, and STI screenings, treatment, and counseling. Even though Student Health Services provides a broad range of screening and treatment, there are some missing, notably there is no form of concussion screening. This is somewhat alarming, as brain injuries can be detrimental to student performance, and if left undiagnosed may take longer to heal or worsen due to the campus environment. This becomes even more concerning when considering the number of student-athletes at ODU, both division one and intramural, who are at a higher risk of suffering such injuries. It is also important to know that appointments with Student Health Services are not included in tuition, and students are expected to pay a fee for the appointment, as well as fees for any additional services used. While the fees are automatically charged, students are provided documentation to file a claim with their health insurance, and group student health insurance plans are available exclusively for international and graduate students. Overall, while not perfect, the resources provided by Student Health Services are well-rounded and able to adequately address the majority of students’ medical needs.
Student Health Services may also indirectly provide benefits outside of physical well-being according to psychology, as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs dictates that humans categorize their needs in a hierarchy, where higher, more sophisticated needs are only considered once the needs lower to them are addressed. The baseline of this structure consists of survival needs such as food, water, shelter, and most importantly health, meaning that once students’ health needs are met they will be better able to cater to their educational needs. Research on the effect of schools providing access to health services on students’ academic performance backs this idea, notably for this project, “School-Based Healthcare and Academic Performance,” a working paper by Jane Rochmes. The paper analyzes data obtained from Add Health and found that students who were provided preventive and physical health services experienced better educational outcomes. Rochmes’ study reveals that students with access to health services on average have a GPA over an eighth of a point higher than those without access, are 71% more likely to pass all their courses, and are 48% more likely to graduate. These positive effects associated with health services are consistent across various student backgrounds, indicating that race and family income are not the source of these benefits. This research is invaluable in understanding the importance of Student Health Services, as it provides data that demonstrates how Student Health Services goes beyond simply serving the physical well-being of students but also contributes positively to their academic success.
While I may have come into this project with a negative impression due to my personal experience in the past, I was able to look over it to create an unbiased examination of Student Health Services. Despite lacking in some areas, the primary care and specialty services provided by Student Health Services cover the vast majority of medical needs for students. In addition, Student Health Services indirectly increases academic performance, as when students have their health needs met, they can focus on meeting the needs of their education, which presents itself through various metrics, such as a higher GPA, decreased rate of failing courses, and an increased graduation rate. Overall, after researching the resources Student Health Services provides and examining the broader context of the relationship between student health and academics I now have a better view of the importance of Student Health Services.
Citations:
1. “Services Provided” Old Dominion University, Updated 2023 https://www.odu.edu/studenthealth/services. Accessed 10/06/2024.
2. “FAQs” Old Dominion University, Updated 2023 https://www.odu.edu/studenthealth/faq. Accessed 10/12/2024.3. Rochmes, Jane. “School-Based Healthcare and Academic Performance: Implications of Physical Health Services for Educational Outcomes and Inequality.” CEPA, 2016, https://cepa.stanford.edu/content/school-based-healthcare-and-academic-performance-implications-physical-health-services-educational-outcomes-and-inequality#:~:text=Analyses%20consistently%20demonstrate%20that%20school,of%20differing%20associations%20across%20student. Working Paper.