Reference no: EM134040734

Question

Every year, about 2.3 to 3.5 million people experience homelessness in the United States. A vast majority of homeless people have one or more health problems. The authors of this study used the Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) User Survey data for 2003 to understand the unmet needs of homeless adults in the United States. The federal HCH program funds about 205 grantees throughout the country and in Puerto Rico who serve more than 700,000 homeless people every year. The HCH User Survey carried out by the Research Triangle Institute staff used a three-stage sampling methodology to conduct in-person interviews of service recipients at 79 clinic sites. The authors analyzed interview data on utilization of health services in the preceding year by 966 respondents representing more than 436,000 homeless adult clinic users nationwide. They used a conceptual framework in which realized access to health services is considered to be a function of the following three factors: (1) predisposing factors, (2) enabling factors, and (3) need factors. Predisposing factors are defined as those characteristics of the individual that affect his or her propensity for seeking healthcare services. Enabling factors are the ones that "facilitate or impede" healthcare utilization.