Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Priorities in the Primary Care of Persons Experiencing Homelessness: Convergence and Divergence in the Views of Patients and Provider/Experts.

Steward J, Holt CL, Pollio DE, Austin EL, Johnson N, Gordon AJ, Kertesz SG. Priorities in the Primary Care of Persons Experiencing Homelessness: Convergence and Divergence in the Views of Patients and Provider/Experts. Patient preference and adherence. 2016 Feb 12; 10(1):153-8.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.
   Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions



Abstract:

PURPOSE: Homeless individuals face unique challenges in health care. Several US initiatives seeking to advance patient-centered primary care for homeless persons are more likely to succeed if they incorporate the priorities of the patients they are to serve. However, there has been no prior research to elicit their priorities in primary care. This study sought to identify aspects of primary care important to persons familiar with homelessness based on personal experience or professional commitment, and to highlight where the priorities of patients and professionals dedicated to their care converge or diverge. METHODS: This qualitative exercise asked 26 homeless patients and ten provider/experts to rank 16 aspects of primary care using a card sort. Patient-level respondents (n = 26) were recruited from homeless service organizations across all regions of the USA and from an established board of homeless service users. Provider/expert-level respondents (n = 10) were recruited from veteran and non-veteran-focused homeless health care programs with similar geographic diversity. RESULTS: Both groups gave high priority to accessibility, evidence-based care, coordination, and cooperation. Provider/experts endorsed patient control more strongly than patients. Patients ranked information about their care more highly than provider/experts. CONCLUSION: Accessibility and the perception of care based on medical evidence represent priority concerns for homeless patients and provider/experts. Patient control, a concept endorsed by experts, is not strongly endorsed by homeless patients. Understanding how to assure fluid communication, coordination, and team member cooperation could represent more worthy targets for research and quality improvement in this domain.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.