Ingram, Carolyn and MacNamara, Isobel and Buggy, Conor and Perrotta, Carla (2023) Priority healthcare needs amongst people experiencing homelessness in Dublin, Ireland: a qualitative evaluation of community expert experiences and opinions. PLoS ONE, 18, (12), e0290599. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0290599.
External website: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.13...
In light of evidence that housing-related disparities in mortality are worsening over time, this study aimed to explore the perspectives of experts working in homeless health and addiction services on priority healthcare needs amongst people experiencing homelessness in Dublin, Ireland, a city facing problematic increases in homelessness. As part of a larger qualitative study, a series of semi-structured interviews were carried out with 19 community experts followed by inductive thematic framework analysis to identify emergent themes and sub-themes relating to priority healthcare needs. At the societal level, community experts identified a need to promote a culture that values health equity. At the policy level, accelerating action in addressing health inequalities was recommended with an emphasis on strategic planning, Housing First, social support options, interagency collaboration, improved data linkage and sharing, and auditing. At the health services level, removing barriers to access will require the provision of more and safer mental health, addiction, women-centred, and general practice services; resolved care pathways in relation to crisis points and multi-morbidity; expanded trauma-informed education and training and hospital-led Inclusion Health programmes; and outreach programmes and peer support for chronic disease management. The voices of people experiencing homelessness, including representatives from specific homeless groups such as migrants, youth, and the elderly, must be thoroughly embedded into health and social service design and delivery to facilitate impactful change.
B Substances > Cocaine > Crack cocaine
B Substances > Opioids (opiates) > Heroin
B Substances > New (novel) psychoactive substances > Benzodiazepines
F Concepts in psychology > Psychological stress / emotional trauma / adversity
G Health and disease > State of health > Physical health
G Health and disease > State of health > Mental health
G Health and disease > Substance use disorder (addiction) > Multiple substance use (Poly-drug /Poly-substance)
G Health and disease > Disease by cause (Aetiology) > Communicable / infectious disease
MA-ML Social science, culture and community > Sociocultural discrimination > Prejudice (stigma / discrimination)
MA-ML Social science, culture and community > Social condition > Homelessness
MA-ML Social science, culture and community > Social condition > Homelessness > Homeless services
T Demographic characteristics > Woman (women / female)
T Demographic characteristics > Homeless person
VA Geographic area > Europe > Ireland
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