Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Edna D. Brooks, RDH, MPH, Dental Program, Florida Department of Health, 780 S.W. 24TH Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315, (954) 665-3155, edna@dentista-br.com, Lina Vega, RDH, MPH, Nova Southeastern University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, 3200 S. University Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, and Jennie Lou, MD, MSc, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Master of Public Health Program, Nova Southeastern University, 3200 S. University Drive, HPD-1578, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328.

South Florida has a large homeless population due to its tolerable weather condition all year around. A critical need exists to understand the barriers to access to oral health care in this underserved population. The objective of this study was to investigate the coverage and utilization of dental care that the public health care system in South Florida provides to its homeless population.

This study was conducted through in-depth interviews through telephone or in person sessions with public health officials in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties in South Florida. Five in depth interviews were conducted. Data were collected and coded to develop categories such as barriers, service gaps, and proposed improvements. This study also brings important information about oral care access availability for the homelessness, decreasing the disparities that there is among the underserved population.

This qualitative study identified the currently available dental care services from homeless population, provided by South Florida Public Health facilities; the study also revealed financial, structural and social barriers to access of dental health care in the target homeless population. The outcome of this study has provided valuable information to the identifying barriers and existing options available for the underserved homeless population in South Florida.

Learning Objectives: