In a series of studies analyzing homeless people covered by government-funded health insurance in Canada, researchers have found that homeless men, women and children have higher hospitalization rates and more doctors' appointments, compared with the general population.
The researchers, led by Dr. Stephen Hwang from St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, say their findings could have policy implications for health services, particularly in light of recent changes in legislature that expand Medicaid coverage to low-income Americans.
They published the results of their three studies in the American Journal of Public Health.
Although homeless people are known to have higher rates of both chronic and acute health conditions than the general population, Dr. Hwang says that until now, there has not been a comprehensive assessment of their health care use.
Because there is difficulty acquiring this information in the US - since over half of homeless adults lack health insurance - Dr. Hwang and his team carried out their studies in Toronto, where everyone has universal health coverage and databases record all doctor, emergency department (ED) and hospital visits.
No comments:
Post a Comment