Health problems contribute to and result from homelessness. Accessing health care services by the homeless is difficult due to a lack of health care coverage, a lack of knowledge of how to utilize services, and competing priorities. Health Care for a the Homeless Network (HCHN) has developed a questionnaire to assess the health needs of individuals in homeless families and guide triage to appropriate HCHN and community health care providers by geographic location. The intended users of this tool are shelter providers and others professionals serving this population who have no or limited training in health care. The areas assessed in the questionnaire are health care coverage, accessibility of services, physical health, dental health, mental health, substance use and abuse, violence, parent-child relationships, childhood immunizations, and child development. This tool was developed through a review of the literature, and focus groups of HCHN providers, non-medical shelter providers, different cultural groups, and homeless clients. The tool was tested for inter-rater reliability by being applied by two different shelter providers two weeks apart to 34 subjects. There was concurrence for 64 % of the questions at a Kappa >.70 (p=0.02). Data collection to test the questionnaire's validity is just being completed with the analysis to follow. The questionnaire is being tested against the current practice of a nursing interview, the gold standard. If the questionnaire is valid, it can be used to assist clients in realizing their health needs and directing them to "homeless sensitive" health care services in their geographic location.
Learning Objectives: Recognize the value of the Family Health Screening Questionnaire as a tool for shelter providers and other professionals with minimal or no health care training for assessing and guiding triage of health care needs to homeless families.
Keywords: Homeless Health Care, Health Assessment
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Health Care for the Homeless Network
Public Health - Seattle & King County
Seattle, WA
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.